The Catholic Wife presents
“Journey Through Holy Week”
Part One: Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. We honor this arrival by processing into the church, waiving our palms and singing. Yet even with the celebration and the welcoming, we must remember that He knows what is about to happen. The same people who are laying down their cloaks and waving their palms to welcome Him on this day will, a few days later, be spitting on him and yelling for him to be crucified. Sitting in the pews on Palm Sunday allows us, the body of Christ, to listen to the story of the Lord’s Passion. And it is more compelling and emotionally moving than an Oscar-winning drama. We are transported to Jerusalem and become a witness to the most defining moments of human history. Perhaps we become Simon the Cyrenian and help Jesus carry His cross. Or maybe we are one of the people who are horrified at what is happening and sit in the crowd, crying. However we picture the event, it is imperative that we be reminded of what He endured for us – what He did so that we may live eternally.
The gospel reading ends on Palm Sunday with the death of Jesus and the placement of His body in the tomb. We must journey through the rest of Holy Week in order to be present for His magnificent resurrection.
Part Two: Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday Mass is an action-packed experience. From the presentation of the oils to the washing of the feet to the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the monstrance for Eucharistic Adoration, it is a true walk with Jesus on the last night before his betrayal. Our parish sings a song called “Table Prayer: The Winter Name of God” (by Michael Joncas) that is the highlight of Holy Thursday for many of the faithful. This song, over 13 minutes long, is overwhelmingly beautiful and there are many in the congregation who are overcome with tears during the singing of it. Holy Thursday is about meeting Jesus in the Upper Room, on that last night, as he imparts the faithful with His body, blood, soul, and divinity that are present in the Eucharist. The liturgy is powerful as we are reminded why we, as Catholics, believe in the True Presence – because Jesus said it was so! It occurred to me during Mass last night, as I listened to Jesus’ words in the gospel of John, that His instruction was very clear when it came to the Lord’s Supper. He says, “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.” He did not say, “This represents my body and blood.” This interpretation is one of the main divisions between Catholics and Protestants…and when I read Jesus’ words, I am befuddled as to how people deny what Jesus was telling us to do or interpret it any other way. It is the very heart of the Catholic faith and the fact that we can receive Jesus daily in the Blessed Sacrament is beautiful! As I head to Good Friday service tonight, I am mindful of the fact that Jesus has passed and has not yet been resurrected. Therefore, tonight’s Mass will be solemn.
Part Three: Good Friday
Good Friday services were certainly solemn. We entered in silence to a bare altar. No plants, no candles – nothing that would indicate joy. And why should we have joy at this time? Christ has died and we commemorate the sadness and despair that gripped his disciples and followers. Yet we are filled with hope because we know something they did not yet know– He will rise and live! Father Bill’s homily discussed the fact that Jesus’ death brought salvation to humanity and for that, it certainly was “Good” Friday. The most profound part of the Good Friday service is the veneration of the cross. I was brought to tears as I watched people approach the roughly-hewn wooden cross and either genuflect before it or bend over and press their lips to the rough wood. How beautiful is our faith!
Part Four: Holy Saturday
Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday is the longest Mass in the liturgical year. And it flies by because of its immense beauty. I arrived at church early in the afternoon to start setting up for the post-Mass reception. You see, Easter Vigil (this explanation is for the non-Catholics) is the time when the church welcomes those who have completed RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. My husband and I were asked to be hosts this year and I was more than happy to oblige. As I walked into the school cafeteria, where the reception would be held, I was reminded of my own reception last year after Mass. I could not believe that it had been just a year since I was welcomed into the Church. So I set up and got things coordinated for that evening. I then went home and we took a nap because we are an old married couple and are not used to staying up late (so maybe we’re not old but we do have a tendency to go to bed early!) We arrived at church at 8:30 and went back into the cafeteria to do more set up. At that time, I saw the four people who would be welcomed into the church that evening. I have gotten to know most of them and was so excited for them! I was anticipating the Mass because I had a problem – I didn’t remember much from last year. It was honestly a blur. I was nervous about standing up in front of the church and having all eyes on me. The only thing I truly remembered was my baptism because I lost a contact lens and almost drowned (never take a breath under water, no matter how much you want to!) An aside for non-Catholics - we baptize those who have not been baptized before or who did not have a valid baptism. To have a valid baptism, it must be in the Trinitarian form. I was “saved” as a child but had never been baptized prior to my conversion.
At 9pm, we all silently stood in the dark gathering area as Father Nick lit the Easter fire, transferred the flame to the Easter candle, and we all lit our individual candles. We then processed into the darkened church and sang by candlelight. After that, we were taken on a scriptural journey through salvation history. We heard readings from Genesis, Exodus, and others – all detailing our salvation. We then heard the story of the discovery of Jesus’ raising as he was no longer in the tomb. With that, the church was suddenly light and beautiful flowers again surrounded the altar. The bareness of Good Friday was gone. After the homily, Father Nick began baptizing the elect. I had to go stand in front of the baptismal font so that I could watch the action. As I watched my friend Sandy be baptized, my own baptism came rushing back. My heart was thumping with joy as I remembered the warmth of those blessed waters and the fact that I had become a new creation in Christ! After the baptisms were complete, the elect and Father went to change clothes and we all went to the waters and blessed ourselves with it to renew our baptisms. The newly baptized then processed to the church, greeted with welcoming applause, and then took their places at the front for their Confirmation. My tears flowed freely as Father laid his hands on the heads of each of the elect. Father Nick is very generous when using the Chrism oil and as he poured it on the heads of the newly confirmed, I remembered the sweet smell of that oil and how it dripped down my head last year.
The Mass drew to a close with the Eucharist. It was profound to receive the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ in light of the fact that we have journeyed through his arrival in Jerusalem, his betrayal, the Last Supper, his crucifixion, and finally his glorious resurrection. Jesus is always with us….He is forever present!
After Mass, Hubby and I quickly made punch and put out cookies, crackers, and cheese balls for the reception. It was a joyous time filled with hugs (I went home with the wonderful smell of Chrism oil on me again this year) and Easter wishes. Glory to God in the highest!
Easter Reflections
Lent has passed and Easter is nearly over. These past several days, I've spent over seven hours in Mass. This extensive amount of time with the Lord has afforded me a chance to enter into deep prayer over the current state of our lives. We, as a married couple, have several decisions ahead of us that must be made. Everything we are contemplating is part of a plan for the betterment of our marriage, our financial viability, our happiness, and a future family. I've lifted so many worries, fears, pleadings, and concerns to the Lord in the past few days that I almost feel guilty about it. And each time I relax a bit, I feel Satan putting those worried thoughts back into my head. And then I have to fight them off again and pray some more. I am now intimately aware of what people mean when they say they are undergoing personal spiritual battles. Satan loves to fill our heads with doubts and to make us question ourselves. But while all this is going on, I cannot help but to keep reminding myself that this is Easter! It is a time for miracles! I feel that God is calling us to something new and exciting but I am not yet sure how it will all come together. I pray that He will give me the strength to face the days as they come and accept what comes with them. I know He is leading us towards a purpose....we just have to follow. I believe that this beautiful Lenten journey, and my journey through Holy Week, has given me the strength I need to face the future.
Copyright 2008 by Rachel Hayden/The Catholic Wife. No part of this website may be reproduced without permission.