It seems almost crazy that it is already Holy Week! Lent seems to have gone by both fast and slow. It is strange to think that we have just celebrated Palm Sunday of Passion of the Lord and that the Triduum and Easter are approaching.
My Daily Roman Missal said the following about yesterday, Palm Sunday:
On this day the Church recalls the entrance of Christ the Lord
into Jerusalem to accomplish His Paschal Mystery.
This is what the entire week is about. The whole week leads up to Good Friday when Jesus dies upon the Cross for all our sins. The whole week leads up to Holy Saturday when the Church awaits the coming Resurrection. The whole week leads up to Easter Sunday and the empty tomb.
The whole week is about the accomplishment of our redemption and the salvation of the world. This week is all about the Son of God, the Word, the Logos, the Lamb, the Son of Mary, the Christ, giving His very Life for us.
Upon the Cross our Savior saw each of us and everything we would ever do and yet He chose to die for us. He chose to love us even though we are not perfect. Even though we don’t do everything exactly as we should, He loves us enough to grant us His Divine Mercy.
To me, this whole week is about prayer. At my parish, we have a special worship schedule for Holy Week.
Sunday was the Procession with palm branches and Mass celebrating the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Monday will be Solemn Sung High Latin Mass which I will attend if at all possible. We don’t have Latin Mass here very often and so I try to attend every time if I can.
Tuesday is typically the day for evening daily Mass and that stays the same. However, following daily Mass will be Confessions and an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. I absolutely LOVE Adoration and so I am sure I will be there.
Wednesday will have Tenebrae sung in the evening. I have only been able to attend Tenebrae once and it was beautiful. Tenebrae is Vespers for Wednesday evening set to gorgeous music and usually involving quite a few candles.
Holy Thursday evening begins the Paschal Triduum with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This Mass is typically remembered by children as the Mass during which the priest washes the feet of some of the congregation.
Good Friday is the day we remember the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. My parish has the traditional Good Friday service as well as a sung Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross.
The evening of Holy Saturday is what I consider one of the most beautiful Masses in the liturgical year: the Easter Vigil. I love the candles and all of the readings. I love the entrance into the Church of the catechumens who have been studying for at least a year. It is beautiful.
Easter Sunday also has a morning Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection.
I guess this is my short primer on Holy Week. If anyone has any questions, I am more than willing to answer them. If you can’t already tell, I have a definite love for this part of the liturgical year.
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