GUIDE TO YOUR HOLYWEEK - Simply Catholic

1 The Seven Last Words of JesusTaking time to meditate on the seven last words of Jesus is a traditional devotion during Holy are the last words spoken by Jesus with their Scripture citations. You might want to readthe passages from your Bible and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what meaningthese words have in your life today: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Lk 23:34) Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. (Lk 23:43) Behold, your mother! (Jn 19:26-27) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46) I thirst!

2 (Jn 19:28) It is finished! (Jn 19:30) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (Lk 23:46) 10 In FocusFEBRUARY 16, 2008 l OUR SUNDAY VISITORPalm crosses: From medievaltimes, people have believed thatblessed palms formed into the shapeof a cross would protect them from easiest way to make a cross fromblessed palms is to cut two pieces of thepalm, arrange in the shape of a cross, puta thumbtack in the middle, and attach thecross to a doorway or a bulletin the Internet for directions onhow to braid or weave palms intomore decorative ways to make Holy Week more meaningfulTHINK you have to work or go to school during Holy Week.

3 Think about how you can incorporate prayer breaks into each AN ADDITIONAL SACRIFICEby fasting and abstaining from meat on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday in addition to Good Friday. DON T WATCH TELEVISION from sundown on Holy Thursday until Easter ASIDE10 minutes every day to read Passion accounts in the it a point to FORGIVE someone on Good Sorrowful Mysteries of the UPany pain or difficulties you experience during Holy Week and unite your sufferings with the pain of Stations of the all of the Triduum members, friends and neighbors especially people who have strayed from the church to come to church with help decorate your parish on Holy Saturday for Chrism MassDuring Holy Week bishopsbless sacred oils in the diocesancathedral at a special liturgyknown as the Chrism Mass.

4 The oil of chrism is used dur-ing baptisms, confirmation, ordi-nation and the consecration ofaltars. The oil of catechumens isused at the Easter Vigil. The oilof the sick is used to anoint peo-ple during the Sacrament of theAnointing of the Sick. The oils are then distributedto the parishes for sacramentalcelebrations throughout part of the liturgicalreforms of Vatican II, therenewal of priestly promiseswas incorporated into theChrism Chrism Mass is anancient celebration that tradi-tionally takes place on HolyThursday morning. But in recentyears, many dioceses celebratethe Chrism Mass on an eveningearlier in Holy Week so thatmore people can attend.

5 Housecleaning:In many cultures theMonday, Tuesday and Wednesday ofHoly Week are designated as days forvigorous housecleaning in preparationfor Easter. This custom probablyevolved from the Jewish custom of ritual cleaning before eggs:Decoratingeggs was a pagan symbol ofrebirth at springtime for theRomans, Greeks, Egyptians,Persians and even theChinese. Christians adoptedthe colored egg as a symbolof new life which comes withthe Resurrection. Easter lilies:The tradition of buying Easterlilies during Holy Week for use as decorationsin homes and churches came into practice in the 1800s.

6 The white flower is a symbol of purity and new life that heralds the resurrection of Jesus. Visiting churches:Thecustom of visiting severalchurches to say a prayeron Holy Thursday was atradition that evolvedfrom the practice of making pilgrimages toholy places. Holy Week customsIn the first century, the earlyChristians celebrated everySunday in commemoration of theresurrection of Jesus. By the secondcentury, they established a partic-ular day for the celebration of theresurrection, which was connectedto the Jewish observance began at sun-down on Saturday evening.

7 Theycalled it the Night of the GreatVigil, a time of remembrance andexpectation that lasted throughoutthe night so they could sing alleluia at dawn on Easter morning. It wasduring the Night of the Great Vigilthat new Christians were receivedinto the the fourth century, it becamecustomary for people to make pil-grimages to Jerusalem to celebratewhat was called the Great Week, which included Holy Thursday,Good Friday, the Easter Vigil andEaster Sunday. The diary of a womannamed Egeria in 381 contains thefirst accounts of the special rites,prayers and devotions that tookplace in Jerusalem during the time, the practice of observ-ing Holy Week spread throughoutthe Christian world, with prayers,historical re-enactments and spe-cial liturgies.

8 During the MiddleAges, the celebration of the EasterVigil gradually fell out of important days of the week werePalm Sunday, Holy Thursday, GoodFriday and Easter 1955, the Vatican re-establishedthe Easter Vigil as an important partof Holy Week the Second VaticanCouncil (1962-65), the bishopscalled for the restoration of theearly Christian rituals for receivingnew Christians into the Church atthe Easter Vigil. In 1988, the Rite ofChristian Initiation of Adults , Easter Vigil with theEaster fire, the lighting of thepaschal candle, the reading of sal-vation history, the celebration ofthe sacraments of initiation for cat-echumens and renewal of bap-tismal promises for the faithful isonce again an integral part of HOLYWEEK of Easter baskets:In many cultures, families bringfood that will be eaten on Easter Sunday tochurch in a basket for a special blessing onHoly Saturday.

9 New clothes:From the time of the earlyChristians, the newly baptized wore white garments made from newlinen. In medieval times, itbecame a tradition forpeople to wear newclothes on Easter Sunday,symbolizing the new life that comes with theResurrection. In someplaces it was believedthat bad luck would cometo those who could affordnew Easter clothes butrefused to buy Water blessings:Some families bring holywater containers to Masson Easter so they can bringhome some Easter water,which is blessed during theEaster Vigil, to bless theirhomes. Sweet breads:In many cultures,Holy Week was traditionally a timefor baking sweet breads, cakesand pastries that would be servedon Easter to quiz:1.

10 Gethsemane or the Mount of Olives; 2.) Judas; 3.) Peter; 4.) Pontius Pilate; 5.) Barabbas; 6.) 14; 7.) three; 8.) Simonof Cyrene; 9.) Veronica; 10.) King of the Jews; 11.) Joseph of Arimathea; 12). Mary Sacred TriduumThe word Triduum comes from the Latin wordmeaning three days, and encompasses thethree most sacred days in the Church year. It beginsat sundown on Holy Thursday, reaches a high pointat the Easter Vigil, and concludes with evening prayerat sundown on Easter liturgical celebrations during the Triduumon Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil andEaster Sunday are rich with symbolism and flow fromone to another in a seamless it may appearas if these liturgies are separate and distinct, theyare actually intended to be one continuous celebrationthat commemorates the passion, death and resur-rection of this reason.