how do you spend your holy week essay

How I spent my Holy Week

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Essay on Holy Week Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on Holy Week Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Holy Week Experience

What is holy week.

Holy Week is a very special time for Christians. It is the week before Easter. It starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. This week is a time to remember the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week. On this day, Christians remember when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. People waved palm branches and cheered for him. This event is often celebrated with processions and the waving of palm branches.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is the day when Christians remember the Last Supper. This was the last meal Jesus had with his disciples before he was arrested. On this day, some churches have a special service where people wash each other’s feet.

Good Friday

Good Friday is a day of sadness for Christians. It is the day when they remember that Jesus was crucified. Many churches hold special services on this day to remember Jesus’ death. Some people also fast or pray.

Easter Sunday

250 words essay on holy week experience.

Holy Week is a special time in the Christian calendar. It is the last week of Lent, leading up to Easter Sunday. This week is very important as it remembers the last week of Jesus’ life on Earth. It starts with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week. It remembers when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. People welcomed him by waving palm branches. This day is often celebrated with processions and the distribution of palm leaves.

The next important day is Maundy Thursday. This day remembers the Last Supper, when Jesus ate with his disciples for the last time. On this day, some churches have a special service where the priest washes people’s feet, just like Jesus did for his disciples.

Good Friday is a sad day because it remembers the death of Jesus. Many Christians go to church to pray and remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Some people also fast, eating less food to show their respect.

The last day of Holy Week is Easter Sunday. This is a joyful day because it celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, his coming back to life. Churches are often decorated with flowers, and people sing happy songs.

500 Words Essay on Holy Week Experience

The meaning of holy week.

Holy Week is a special time for many people around the world. It is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter. During this week, Christians remember the last week of Jesus’s life. There are many special days during Holy Week, like Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Each day has its own meaning and traditions.

Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week. It remembers when Jesus entered Jerusalem, and people laid palm branches on the ground in front of him. Many churches give out small palm crosses on this day. It is a joyful day because it celebrates Jesus’s welcome in Jerusalem as a king.

Good Friday is the most solemn day of Holy Week. It is the day when Christians remember Jesus’s death on the cross. Many people fast (don’t eat anything) on Good Friday and join in prayer and worship services. Some people also take part in processions of the cross in the streets.

Easter Sunday is the end of Holy Week and the end of Lent. It is a day of joy and celebration because it remembers Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. Many people go to church on Easter Sunday to celebrate this happy day. It is also a day for family gatherings and festive meals.

Personal Experience of Holy Week

Holy Week is a meaningful time for Christians around the world. It is a week of special services, reflection, and prayer. It is also a time of family gatherings and joy. It is a week that reminds us of the great love of Jesus, who died and rose again for us. It is a time of hope and renewal.

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Your Guide To Holy Week

In the first century, the early Christians celebrated every Sunday in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus. By the second century, they established a particular day for the celebration of the resurrection, which was connected to the Jewish Passover.

Their observance began at sundown on Saturday evening. They called it the Night of the Great Vigil, a time of remembrance and expectation that lasted throughout the night so they could sing “Alleluia” at dawn on Easter morning. It was during the Night of the Great Vigil that new Christians were received into the Church.

By the fourth century, it became customary for people to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate what was called the “Great Week,” which included Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. The diary of a woman named Egeria in 381 contains the first accounts of the special rites, prayers and devotions that took place in Jerusalem during the Great Week.

Over time, the practice of observing Holy Week spread throughout the Christian world, with prayers, historical re-enactments and special liturgies. During the Middle Ages, the celebration of the Easter Vigil gradually fell out of practice. The important days of the week were Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

In 1955, the Vatican re-established the Easter Vigil as an important part of Holy Week observances.

During the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the bishops called for the restoration of the early Christian rituals for receiving new Christians into the Church at the Easter Vigil. In 1988, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was issued.

Today, Easter Vigil with the Easter fire, the lighting of the paschal candle, the reading of salvation history, the celebration of the sacraments of initiation for catechumens and renewal of baptismal promises for the faithful is once again an integral part of Holy Week celebrations.

Download the Guide to Holy Week here

Download ‘Holy Week: Simple Ways to Walk with Jesus’ pamphlet here

Holy Week quiz

How much do you remember about the people and events of Holy Week? Here’s a little quiz to test your knowledge. The answers are at the bottom of this page.

1. Where did the Agony in the Garden take place? 2. Who betrayed Jesus? 3. Who denied Jesus three times? 4. Who ordered Jesus to be scourged? 5. What criminal was released instead of Jesus? 6. How many Stations of the Cross are there? 7. How many times does Jesus fall on the way to Calvary? 8. Who helped Jesus carry his cross? 9. Who wiped the face of Jesus? 10. What did the sign on the cross say? 11. Who made arrangements for the burial of Jesus? 12. Who was the first to discover that Jesus had risen?

Answers below

12 ways to make Holy Week more meaningful

1. THINK PRAYER. If you have to work or go to school during Holy Week, think about how you can incorporate prayer breaks into each day. 2. MAKE AN ADDITIONAL SACRIFICE by fasting and abstaining from meat on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday in addition to Good Friday. 3. DON’T WATCH TELEVISION from sundown on Holy Thursday until Easter morning. 4. GO to confession. 5. SET ASIDE 10 minutes every day to read Passion accounts in the Gospels. 6. Make it a point to FORGIVE someone on Good Friday. 7. PRAY the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. 8. OFFER UP any pain or difficulties you experience during Holy Week and unite your sufferings with the pain of Christ. 9. PRAY the Stations of the Cross. 10. ATTEND all of the Triduum liturgies. 11. INVITE family members, friends and neighbors — especially people who have strayed from the church — to come to church with you. 12. VOLUNTEER to help decorate your parish on Holy Saturday for Easter.

Holy Week customs

Visiting churches: The custom of visiting several churches to say a prayer on Holy Thursday was a tradition that evolved from the practice of making pilgrimages to holy places.

New clothes: From the time of the early Christians, the newly baptized wore white garments made from new linen. In medieval times, it became a tradition for people to wear new clothes on Easter Sunday, symbolizing the “new life” that comes with the Resurrection. In some places it was believed that bad luck would come to those who could afford new Easter clothes but refused to buy them.

Blessing of Easter baskets: In many cultures, families bring food that will be eaten on Easter Sunday to church in a basket for a special blessing on Holy Saturday.

The Sacred Triduum

The Chrism Mass

During Holy Week bishops bless sacred oils in the diocesan cathedral at a special liturgy known as the Chrism Mass. The oil of chrism is used during baptisms, confirmation, ordination and the consecration of altars. The oil of catechumens is used at the Easter Vigil. The oil of the sick is used to anoint people during the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. The oils are then distributed to the parishes for sacramental celebrations throughout the year. As part of the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, the renewal of priestly promises was incorporated into the Chrism Mass. The Chrism Mass is an ancient celebration that traditionally takes place on Holy Thursday morning. But in recent years, many dioceses celebrate the Chrism Mass on an evening earlier in Holy Week so that more people can attend.

Quiz answers

1. Gethsemane or the Mount of Olives 2. Judas 3. Peter 4. Pontius Pilate 5. Barabbas 6. 14 7. three 8. Simon of Cyrene 9. Veronica 10. King of the Jews 11. Joseph of Arimathea 12. Mary Magdalene

Originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor.

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Holy Week has nearly arrived. For many of us, this comes as a welcome relief. Sacrifice, mortification, and suffering do not come easily. We’d instead carry on in our comfortable lives than stretch ourselves until it hurts for the love of Him who was stretched on a Cross for us. As we prepare our souls to accept and surrender to the weight of His love before entering into the lighthearted celebration of the Easter season, it behooves us to pause each day with some degree of solemn appreciation for Him who was glorified by way of surrender and death.

Why is Holy Week a time of reflection?

Lent is a time of spiritual renewal and a time to prepare ourselves for Easter Sunday. Our Lord is with us, always forgiving and loving all with no exceptions. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

The Easter season, especially Holy Week, gives us the opportunity for serious reflection. We know that Jesus died for us, only to give each of us new life. Easter can be a time of renewed commitment to our Heavenly Father. May our Risen Lord continue to inspire each of us.

Holy Week is also a time of forgiveness as we are preparing for the celebration of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Father. It is a time to embrace our mistakes and shortcomings and forgive all who have offended us. Colossians 3:12 tells us, “We are the people of God; He loved us and chose us for His own. So then, we must clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Matthew 6:14-15 reminds us, “Let us not forget that “if we forgive others the wrongs they have done to us, our Father in heaven will also forgive us. But if we do not forgive others, then the Father will not forgive the wrongs we have done.”

We must also take this as an opportunity to reflect with God about ourselves. We can talk and reconcile with God through sacrament and prayers and reflect on what we have done. In such a way, we will be prepared for our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming as He is seated at the Father’s right hand.

Through reflection, we are also offering ourselves to God. But “if we are about to offer our gift to God at the altar and there we remember that our brother has something against us, leave our gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with our brother, and then come back and offer our gift to God,” as seen in Matthew 5:23-24. We should take this season to put the value of forgiveness and reflection in our hearts and our souls. Let us put ourselves in the presence of the Lord so that someday we will be able to enter His Kingdom.

Holy Week reflections.

Waiting is likely one of the most challenging aspects of the human condition. No one enjoys waiting, in traffic, in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, for an important phone call, or a long-awaited visit with a long-lost friend or relative. We despise waiting, whether it be for dreaded news or something joyful. We’d rather know right away what’s going to happen and when.

Waiting for God is a different matter, however. God often asks us to wait for painfully extended periods without reprieve. Holy Week reminds us that waiting is part of our own passion experience. We wait for death, but ultimately, we wait for what comes after death: new life. To become a new creation in Christ, we must undergo many trials that we’d instead bypass altogether. These are necessary, vital components to entering the joy of eternal bliss.

We can wait for God with courage and fidelity, regardless of how long He asks us to hold off on taking action. This week especially, we can use our time meditating on Jesus’ Passion for growing in patience and anticipating the joy of resurrection with hope that lingers while suffering.

It’s an incredibly humbling privilege and honor to bear a child in your womb, especially when you know that it is truly God who ordained this little soul to be formed from a tiny seed.

If we consider that our beginnings were fashioned in our mothers’ wombs, we might realize that life itself would be impossible for us without God sustaining us. There are so many statistical reasons why our lives are a miracle from the very beginning, one of which is that the formation of a tiny baby is incredibly fragile and prone to death. God has given us strength from our mother’s womb, from the beginning of our lives.

Knowing this, then, we should not falter in trusting God. He ordained our lives for a specific purpose. We are called to something that only we can do, and we must cleave to the hope that He will fulfill the work He has begun in us.

Jesus was born so that He would die for us. That is the sole reason the Father sent Him to earth. We always think of Lent as the most appropriate time to meditate about Jesus’ Passion, but we seldom give it much thought throughout the rest of the liturgical calendar.

It seems fitting that we should, in some way, celebrate Lent all year long. It should be very much a part of our everyday prayer to recall with fond appreciation and immense love that Jesus was born so that we might be delivered to eternal life. And life has a high price. As the “appointed time draws near” for entering into Jesus’ death, we might do well to ask Him how we can console His Heart every day from this point onward. It is our gift of gratitude for the price of love.

Holy Week is a solemn week of extra prayer and fasting. It involves the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. During those three days, we recall, and through our prayer participate in, Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, his arrest, trial, and execution, the long day of silence (Holy Saturday) while his body rested in the grave, and his Resurrection on Easter. The many readings of Scripture surrounding the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ give us a lot of material for reflection and prayer.

6 Things You Did Not Know About Palm Sunday

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Reflection: Monday of Holy Week

In today’s Gospel, Jesus has dinner with his friends Lazarus, Martha, Mary, and the apostles. Everyone is still in awe of the resurrected Lazarus. Martha serves the meal. And Mary brings out a bottle of beautiful, expensive perfumed oil and lovingly anoints Jesus’ feet, drying them with her hair. 

Judas criticizes her, asking “Why was this oil not sold and given to the poor?” But Jesus defends Mary, saying “Leave her alone. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Jesus is not saying that we don’t need to care for the poor. But he sees Mary making the effort to sanctify one moment, to fall at his feet and love him. By defending her, Jesus tells us that this is never a waste of time. 

Expert predictions tell us that New York City will reach the peak of the Coronavirus bell curve this Thursday or Friday. This "Very Worst Day" will fall on the day that Christ will be in agony in the garden, handed over to death, and killed on the cross. The crisis will not be over then, but it will begin to turn around. And Jesus is right in the midst of it with us. Let us take this most difficult moment to live liturgically, to be like Mary and do our best to fall at the feet of the Lord and love him.

Katie Rich GRD '22

Katie Rich is a Yale Divinity School student working toward her Master of Divinity degree.

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Publications, media resources, the end of lent: how do we celebrate holy week with holiness.

Happy Holy Week! We find ourselves in the most emotionally charged week of the liturgical year, reflecting on the betrayal, death and resurrection of Jesus, hoping and praying that God gives us the grace to experience all of that and feel a closeness with Christ. I am struck with a feeling of great anticipation and joy every year during Holy Week. The celebration of Easter is incredible and very moving to me, but I think that is because I, living in the 21 st century, know the end of the story. Jesus rose and is alive and well in the world. For the people of that time, however, they lived in 3 days of turmoil, grief, and confusion after a few days of terrifying events. How then do we celebrate and appreciate the full experience of this week in all of its many emotions while knowing the greatest twist at the end? And how do we live holy lives in order to continue our pursuit of Jesus and in our world where holiness can be hard to find?

In the Catholic Church we look to those who have lived lives of extraordinary holiness that are venerated as saints. Many of the most influential people in the world have done extraordinary things that have led them to lives of spreading the good news of Christ to the world. Thomas Merton spoke best about his view of sainthood and the importance of living a life of holiness. He said, “For me, to be a saint means to be myself.” This is such a gift to think about sainthood in this way, being able to see ourselves as worthy of sainthood by simply living the way God created us to live. As God continues to create us in an ever-changing world, we are continually invited to be in deeper relationship with Christ and a continual exploration of the deepest purpose God created us with. With an eye towards strengthening that relationship with Christ, Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly offered three steps to holiness in our everyday lives. The first is true self-knowledge. We must be able to take a look at ourselves in an honest way, with all of our faults and successes and know that every part of ourselves are a beloved creation from God. The second step is we must be humble. True humility comes with a great surrender we must have to the will of God and our limitations as humans but a true appreciation for the freedom God has given us to live in relationship with Him. This freedom is a gift we are call to use in the purest pursuit of truth, love, and justice. The last step is to have a sense of humor to be able to see the world with joy and light despite anything else that is happening around us.

I think the best way to summarize these things and to gain a true experience of Holy Week is to be authentically ourselves. We are all created by a loving God and we do great service to God by appreciating and loving all of His great creation; ourselves very much included. Holiness does not have to come with solemnity and quiet reverence but it comes with being true to our hearts. So, allow yourself to experience all of the humanness God has gifted to you; the joy, sorrow, excitement, grief, joy, pain, love, and peace. Allow yourself grace to continue to fail knowing that you are still perfect in the eyes of God. Experience this week as it comes to you and find as many ways to encounter Jesus alive in the world as you can. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil. 4:8). Happy Holy Week and let us rejoice in the light of the Lord. Amen.

Your two-minute guide to Holy Week

Heard of Holy Week, but not really sure what happens in it or what it’s all about? Discover the key events – and the underlying message – of Holy Week with this quick summary.

What is Holy Week?

An important week-long event in the Christian calendar, Holy Week celebrates the death and miraculous rising of Jesus Christ, a Jewish teacher said to have lived roughly 2,000 years ago. 

But are there any signs that show he really was a spiritual teacher back then? Explore the evidence for yourself with:  Man or Myth? Is there evidence that Jesus existed?

So, what days fall in Holy Week?

The key days of Holy Week are:

Palm Sunday

Maundy thursday, good friday, holy saturday, easter sunday.

But what are the days in Holy Week all about – and what events do they represent?

Falling a week before Easter Sunday, this day celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel. By this point, Jesus had made quite the name for himself. And, according to the book of Matthew, people flocked to see this influential teacher, preacher and so-called miracle maker:

‘A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, “Praise to David’s Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God!”’ (Matthew 21.8–9).

As the week unfolds, you’ll discover that not everyone felt the same way about Jesus. But, at this point, he had a crowd of supporters, who laid down clothing to create the ancient equivalent of a ‘red carpet moment’ for him as he entered the city, waving what are traditionally portrayed as palm leaves (hence, the name.)

Familiar with the practice of Communion? It’s inspired by the second major event of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday. 

But what happened on this day?

Even though, just a few chapters earlier, the Bible writers describe Jesus’ warm welcome into Jerusalem, tensions were rising.

As Jesus continued to challenge the status quo, religious leaders who’d been looking for a chance to arrest him found their opportunity. In exchange for 30 pieces of silver, one of Jesus’ close followers, Judas Iscariot, agreed to reveal Jesus’ identity to a group led by chief priests so they could arrest him. His arrest took place shortly after he’d shared a Passover meal with his close friends and followers.

But why is it called Maundy Thursday?

It’s taken from the Latin word,  mandatum , which means ‘mandate’ – AKA ‘command’. This new mandate relates to the Christian practice of Communion, when people share bread and wine in a symbolic act that mirrors the way Jesus shared this supper with his friends, but also represents Jesus’ own sacrificial act, which is remembered on Good Friday.

Familiar with the phrase about there being two absolute certainties in life? The Bible shows that taxes were a major part of ancient Middle Eastern life too, but it tells a different story about death. And the depictions of Jesus’ life are central to understanding the theme of death within this epic collection of writings. 

Sources from the time say that Jesus was put on trial and sentenced to death for making claims about who he was, and how people should live – claims some of his contemporaries agreed with, but others felt threatened by.

But why is a day about death called Good Friday?

It might be the last name you’d choose, but the word ‘good’ hints at the deeper meaning behind this event. Within Christian teachings, Jesus is good news – even through his death, which is seen a sacrificial act that comes with the promise of new life.

It's easy to view this as a bleak narrative about death, but the story doesn’t end here. And, as the story unfolds, death is replaced with life, and loss is replaced with hope.

How do you feel when you’re waiting for something? Are you filled with nerves, excitement, or a mixture of both?

For Christians, Holy Saturday is a day of waiting. The Bible writers didn’t spend much time explaining what happened the day after Jesus’ death, but they say he was buried in a tomb that was sealed with a large stone. It would have been a day of mourning for his family and friends.

Today, Holy Saturday is celebrated in different ways within the Christian calendar; some mark it with church services while others set out time for quiet reflection.

What gives you hope, even in the darkest times?

For Christians, Easter Sunday is one source of hope.

New Testament writings tell the story of two women – both called Mary, who knew Jesus well – who go to visit his grave. They're said to have experienced a violent earthquake before being visited by an angel, who told them that the tomb was empty: Jesus had risen from the dead.

Naturally, they were terrified and confused. But biblical writings say they then met Jesus for themselves, alive and well as the  angel had said. They shared the news with Jesus’ closest followers, known as the disciples, who responded similarly to how the two women had at first; they were confused, and couldn’t believe it.

However, over time, Jesus appeared to them personally, including when two more of his followers were on their way to visit a village called Emmaus, documented in  Luke 24 . After this, the disciples grew to believe in the seemingly impossible: a miraculous rising.

The high point in the Easter story, this day continues to offer a message of hope to people today. After all, if a man can be brought back to life, is anything really beyond repair?

But what about Easter Monday?

You might be wondering: isn’t Easter Monday a part of Holy Week? And what’s said to have happened to Jesus on Easter Monday anyway?

Traditionally, this day isn’t viewed as a part of Holy Week, despite the fact that it’s known as ‘Easter Monday’, and is a bank holiday in lots of countries (acknowledging that Easter falls on a Sunday).

In the Bible, the events of Easter Monday – the day after the resurrection of Jesus – aren’t described. At least not in a day-by-day account. Instead, we get a description of the next 40 days, when Jesus is said to have lived alongside his friends before returning to heaven.

Why is Holy Week so important?

So, what’s so significant about Holy Week?

For Christians, this is the most important week in the Church calendar. Everything leads up to this event. It marks Jesus’ final days, his death, and his resurrection, a miraculous event that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. 

But what does this ancient message of hope have to say to today?  Rediscover the Easter story  for yourself.

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How to make the most of holy week at home.

American Catholics are facing an unimaginable Holy Week this year. With the suspension of public Masses throughout every diocese in all 50 states, there will be no Palm Sundays in our parishes, no Triduum liturgies, no joyous Easter Sunday Mass. It’s almost unthinkable — yet here we are.

Nothing can ever replace the solemnity and beauty of Holy Week in our churches, and so the absence of public worship during these holiest days of the year presents a moment of pause and pain. The void created in our spiritual lives by our lack of access to the sacraments can be seen to draw us closer to Christ’s own solitude in his final agony and suffering. And yet, we cannot remain there. By our Easter faith, we know that Christ is alive and among us. “I am with you always,” he promised (Mt 28:20). As the late Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I., reiterated: “The Risen Lord will never abandon his people. Those who find their personal identity in relation to him will never be alone.” Knowing all things work for the good, let us not dwell in our sadness, but as Easter people, fervently pray for the grace given to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter morning: for the eyes to see the Risen Lord in our midst and the ears to recognize his voice as he speaks to us.

So while we are unable to celebrate Holy Week in our churches, here are some ways we might bring these holiest days of the year into being in our homes.

Read: Vatican releases pope’s pandemic-influenced plan for Holy week, Easter

SPIRITUAL TREASURES

Thankfully, as Catholics, we have a wealth of prayer and spiritual resources to which to turn. Though unable to gather in community at parishes and shrines across the country, we are able to gather at home — what the Church has long taught is properly understood as “the domestic church.” And while we would much rather attend Holy Week’s sacred liturgies, we know that Jesus will be with us, because he told us so: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).

Buy now on Kindle: Catholic Prayers for All Occasions

Liturgy of the Hours

In recent decades, a growing number of laypeople have taken up praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church’s most important prayer outside of the Mass. It might be difficult to obtain a copy of the official texts on short notice, however, there are a variety of resources available online and through mobile apps. While morning prayer and evening prayer are among the most popular, the Office of Readings might be fitting during these days as well, especially concerning the vigil for Easter. If you are unfamiliar with how the Liturgy of the Hours works, there are also plenty of resources online to help you begin navigating this spiritual treasure.

Read: Sunday morning prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours

Holy Week draws us to contemplate more deeply the Lord’s passion and death. One of the greatest forms of contemplative prayer available to the faithful is the Rosary, the sorrowful mysteries of which give us a fitting place to begin our meditations. In his 2003 apostolic letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae , Pope St. John Paul II said, “The sorrowful mysteries help the believer to relive the death of Jesus, to stand at the foot of the Cross beside Mary, to enter with her into the depths of God’s love for man and to experience all its life-giving power” (No. 22). These days certainly present a need for that kind of prayer. If families are unfamiliar with praying the Rosary together, one option could be to pray a decade each of the days during Holy Week.

Stations of the Cross

Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote: “The great tragedy of the world is not what people suffer, but how much they miss when they suffer. Nothing is quite as depressing as wasted pain, agony without an ultimate meaning or purpose.” The Stations of the Cross make tangible every imaginable aspect of human suffering, all of which were on full display in the events of Christ’s passion. And the Stations teach us to see the suffering’s purpose, especially in a time when so much of it surrounds us.

Read: Walking the Stations of the Cross this Lent

A variety of online resources are available for meditations on the Stations of the Cross. (A virtual tour of the Shrine of Christ’s Passion in St. John, Indiana, for example, can be a helpful tool.) They do not need to be long or complicated. We could travel around a room, house or outdoor lawn to take some part in Christ’s journey to Calvary. Perhaps simple crosses could be distributed in different places within such venues or even printouts of images related to each station.

Read: Doing the Stations of the Cross with your kids (including tips on doing this from home!)

Buy now on Kindle: The Way of the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Buy now on Kindle: Every Step with Jesus: Following the Saints in the Way of the Cross

Praying with Scripture

Spend time with Scripture this Holy Week. Take a passion narrative from one of the four Gospels and read a bit each day. Take the readings from the Lectionary presented for use at the liturgies of Holy Week and spend time meditating upon them. The Easter Vigil’s seven Old Testament readings could be used each day of Holy Week leading up to Easter as an opportunity to walk through salvation history.

Livestreaming

One of the blessings of our technological age is that many bishops and parish priests have been livestreaming their daily or Sunday Masses , including Pope Francis. While the faithful are not able to be present at the liturgies of Holy Week — liturgies that undoubtedly will be slightly different than usual — such livestreams are a good reminder that the Church is still publicly at prayer and that God is still being worshipped. All the baptized share in the spiritual fruits and graces of each and every Mass and can unite their sacrifices to the sacrifice of Christ, even if remotely. That’s because each Mass is an act of worship on behalf of the whole Church — the Body of Christ, of which each of us becomes members at our baptism. Above all, it’s most important to remember our unity with the Lord and how that can be strengthened by a spiritual communion. Through such a simple prayer, we can receive all fruits of the sacrament even during times as dire as we are presented with today.

Read: Your guide to Holy Week: Customs, quiz, 12 ways to make it more meaningful

LITURGICAL LIFE AT HOME

In our homes — our domestic churches where the Faith is lived out mostly from day to day — we can connect ourselves more closely to the Church’s liturgical life. This can be done even in simple ways, particularly by setting aside a special place to pray. One common practice in homes is to have a domestic prayer altar with a simple cloth, a crucifix or other sacred images, or a candle. Other items can be kept there as well, such as rosaries, the Bible or holy water. Other decorations related more directly to the day being celebrated are recommended as well. If colors of decor can be changed, use white on Holy Thursday and Easter, red on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, and purple in between.

Read: A parent’s guide to Lent and Holy Week 

A set place for common prayer in the home would be a great idea to help foster your family’s prayer life, especially during the sacred days of Holy Week. You might invite friends and relatives to join you digitally in prayer.

Each of the days in Holy Week has its own character and traditions, some elements of which easily can be implemented at home.

Read: Walking through Holy Week as a family

Read: Holy Week ideas and conversation starters for families

Palm Sunday

In commemoration of the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, branches from the yard could be carried in procession throughout your yard or nearby outdoor space. It doesn’t need to be elaborate. (For those with access to palm branches, here’s a free PDF download on how to make those lovely palm crosses .) Take time to read Matthew 21:1-11, as might be done at the start of Mass. You can sing or play a hymn praising Christ our Lord and King along the way, such as the traditional “All Glory, Laud and Honor.” No need to be quiet about it; when Jesus was told to silence the crowds on the first Palm Sunday, he replied, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” (Lk 19:40). End your procession at a home altar, where you can reflect upon the passion narrative (Mt 26:14–27:66) or livestream a Mass.

Listen: Music playlists for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter 

Holy Thursday

At the Last Supper, Jesus washed his apostles’ feet, an act of sacrificial love and service by which he gave meaning to what he would accomplish on the cross the next day. Washing one another’s feet would be a great way for loved ones to recall the Lord’s Holy Thursday mandate to love one another as he has loved us. Begin by reading the evening’s Gospel passage (Jn 13:1-15) and conclude with a simple meal.

In commemoration of the Lord’s agony in the garden, it is customary to spend the night in Eucharistic adoration. While attending adoration at a church likely isn’t an option for Catholics this year, there are livestreams of Eucharistic adoration available online. The time adoring Christ, even through the screen, can be spent in quiet meditation, reflection on relevant Gospel passages, recitation of the Rosary or making an act of spiritual communion.

Read: Holy Thursday history and traditions

Good Friday

The last several weeks have felt something like Good Friday, a day on which Mass is not celebrated, along with several other sacraments. For the veneration of the cross that takes place at this liturgy, we should choose a crucifix at home by which to honor Christ’s passion and death. Gather together and read the passion narrative from the day (Jn 18:1–19:42), keeping the crucifix as a focal point in the room. It would be good for each person to venerate it with a genuflection or a kiss, according to custom. We say, “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. Come let us adore.”

Good Friday is one of two annual obligatory days of fasting for Catholics. With life so jarringly altered, perhaps our fasting will take on new meaning this year, and perhaps we can increase our fasting for the good of all those suffering and caring for the sick throughout the world. Fasting certainly creates a void within us, so that we may recognize our dependence on God above all else. But it can also be an opportunity to open us up to the needs of others, particularly those who need our prayers during these days.

Even though we may not be together as a community to celebrate Easter, the Lord is risen! Let us rejoice, therefore, and be glad!

As you begin your Easter celebration, take time to read one of the Gospel accounts of when the tomb was found empty (there are several options). This is the center point of human history and should take on that significance in our lives. Be sure, also, to watch Mass on TV or online, if possible.

Because we can worship in all that we do, we celebrate Easter with all we have. Many traditional foods are associated with Easter from cultures around the world. Perhaps do some research and try to make a special paschal cuisine. Easter eggs, be they dyed or plastic, can be hidden in the yard or the house, and they remind us of the endless possibilities that flow from Christ’s triumph over the grave.

Another special Easter practice is to adorn the cross (you could use the same one as used on Good Friday) with spring flowers, a visible reminder that God has transformed the meaning of even suffering and death. If flowers are hard to come by at home, another possibility is to encourage children to draw, color or paint such decorations. Perhaps large “Alleluia!” posters can be made to add a bit of Easter festivity to the home. Easter songs are not as well-known and popular as Christmas carols, but don’t let that stop you from letting your alleluias ring out, for Christ is truly risen from the tomb. No matter the difficulty of crisis, Easter reminds us that God always wins — indeed, he’s already won, and so no matter the sorrow around us, we can be filled with joy.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana.

Michael R. Heinlein

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV's Simply Catholic and author of "Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I."

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How Will You Spend Your Holy Week Break ?

For many Filipino families, no matter what religion they have, Holy Week is the time to pause, reflect and spend time with their families. The short week offers peace to the spirit and with the sun at its peak throughout the day, you almost always feel you want to sleep.

We’ve asked the moms of MBP community how they will spend this much-needed break and here are their lovely answers. You may want to follow them on their blogs and learn a thing or two on how parenting life can be.

A balance between meditation, family and travel. (picture taken along the longest causeway of the phililppines in Calape, Bohol) http://paintsandquills.com

I’ll be spending my holy week with my family specially with my son. Spend my time with them, also film and edit a bunch of youtube videos for future use and ofcourse, write on my blog also, I wanted to strengthen my relationship with God this Lenten season. Attend mass on Easter Sunday (here’s a picture of my son because he woke up in the middle of my shooting a makeup tutorial)

mhownai.blogspot.com

Heard Palm Sunday mass with my family in Tagaytay.Will probably be doing Visita Iglesia. www.mommynmore.com

My husband and I will go to our hometown to be with our little boy. Also to spend time with our family there. We’ll pray, reflect and repent this Lent season. ( www.momaye.com )

Holy week will be spent with my kids at home since I’ve been so busy with work these past few weeks. We will go on Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday which has become a family tradition and I want my kids to observe the same when they’re older. And the highlight of our holy week will be Easter Sunday! Might join some easter Sunday activities too. – www.rolledin2onemom.com

Spend Holy Week with my family. More family bonding moments to strengthen our relationship and draw ourselves closer to God. This picture is taken in Palm Sunday at Monasterio de Tarlac . www.everymomspage.com

Decided to stay home this weekend and spend the holy week with just our children. We’ll most likely take them to the Stations of the Cross on BGC for a reflection activity as we usually do on Holy Week:

http://www.fullyhousewifed.com

Will spend holy week with the whole family, it’s time for us to teach Little Kulit more about Jesus and his sacrifices. We will also spend one day at the beach and it’s our first attend Easter Egg hunt – myworldmommyanna.com

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Why Is Holy Week So Significant for Christians?

Yearly patterns of worship can help to reinforce daily habits and bring them alive for the believer who tries to picture what it was like to live with Jesus, to lose him, and then to see him alive again.

Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Christ and his victory over the grave. But the week leading up to Easter is also important to many Christians.

Some denominations encourage their congregations to connect daily worship with the events, which took place on each corresponding day in the week leading up to the crucifixion.

Early History of Holy Week

The formal observation of Holy Week did not begin until after the fourth century when the Nicene Creed was established. Until that time, Saturday and Easter Sunday alone were kept holy.

Eventually, church leaders wanted to tighten believers’ focus onto a close examination of the details in Jesus’ last week from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem to his resurrection.

The Sunday before Easter is “Palm Sunday” because the people threw palm leaves onto the ground over which Jesus rode his donkey into Jerusalem. On Monday, Jesus cleansed the temple, forcing out money changers and vendors.

He also cursed a fig tree for not giving him fruit, and on Tuesday found it withered. Judas betrayed Christ on Wednesday. Maundy Thursday was the day of the Last Supper, followed by Christ’s prayer in the Garden, his arrest, his crucifixion, and the resurrection on Sunday.

Many Christian churches today, Protestant and Catholic, highlight the events leading to the cross, but this has not always been the case. What brought about change?

Holy Week Lost and Found

Many of the structural elements of what we now consider “church” came into being centuries after Christ’s death, which in turn made it easier to establish annual patterns of worship including the formal institution of Holy Week.

One commentator says that Holy Week was already honored before the Nicene Creed, but this was not a formally documented pattern.

The significant addition to Easter worship introduced at Nicaea was Lent, a 40-day period of preparation for Easter. “The council of Nicaea in 325 and the Second Vatican Council may be seen as the two poles in the history of Lent: Nicaea acknowledged its existence while Vatican II confirmed its importance .”

Between these two poles, numerous denominations and ideas about the structure of the church worship sprang up, and the Christian calendar stopped emphasizing the importance of either Lent or of Holy Week.

The intention behind reinstituting Holy Week was to encourage both joy and serious reflection, transformation, even purification of the heart in anticipation of Easter Sunday.

For a long time, religious leaders in America focused on the two special days — Easter and Christmas — until more recently when they came to believe their congregations had lost the more regular “rhythms” of faithful observance.

In the mid-20 th century, “there arose a growing movement to restore the ancient Christian Year.” This led to the restoration of Lent and newly formalized Holy Week teaching and prayers.

The Second Vatican Council instituted official spiritual revival within the Catholic church, but the revival also spread to Protestant denominations.

Avoiding the Religion of Holy Week

Not all churches emphasize Holy Week or Lent because of the fear of turning both of them into a matter of religious duty.

A believing Christian, one whose faith rests on the risen Christ and not on the hope that good behavior will save him, must think carefully about why he would decide to participate.

For example, one might go to church every night for a week to hear Scripture relating to the withered fig tree, Maundy Thursday, etc. There is always the danger of wishing to appear pious or trying to earn salvation, thereby falling into a religious trap.

One might go because of pressure from the pastor, not out of a deep desire to imagine what Christ felt like each day he walked a step closer to Calvary.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” ( James 1:27 ). The Christian “religion” often represents religious guilt and duty without love or true belief in the resurrected Jesus.

Fasting, attending church every day for a week, and knowing all the scriptures about the Last Supper, etc. are not signs of a changed heart. These actions do not glorify God. Their worth is in how such observations help one to understand the depth of Christ’s love for a fallen world.

Why Is Holy Week Important to the Believer?

The Bible is not primarily about God’s people: it is about Jesus. Palm Sunday reminds us of Old Testament prophecies, and how Jesus fulfilled them. “Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” ( Zechariah 9:9 ).

One might ponder the meaning of “temple” as portrayed in the temple cleansing and the cursing of the fig tree. Jesus “was telegraphing the upcoming transition from the temple as a place to the temple as a people,” wrote Leonard Sweet.

He “confronted a culture of consumption, reflected in that fruitless and unreproductive fig tree, with a culture of conception.” The temple cleansing and the withered fig tree reflect a cultural emphasis on materialism and production.

The Pharisees believed they were holy because they kept the law and they prayed frequently. They gave long religious speeches and performed many religious duties.

They were, however, fruitless; they were not leading people’s hearts towards their Father in Heaven and their own hearts were hard. A religious building did not make them or their transactions holy, and religion which does not lead to God is fruitless; worthless.

“He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me” ( John 13:18 ). Remarkably, Jesus foresaw Judas’ betrayal   yet still called him “disciple.” We as Christians are invited to take comfort in the depth of Christ’s willingness to forgive and are reminded by these words that God’s plan was always in place.

“His heel” takes us all the way back to Genesis 3:15 , where God promised enmity between Satan and human beings: “he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” Yet, Judas could have repented and asked to be forgiven.

He certainly regretted his actions, but this was not enough to save him. Billy Graham wrote that “being sorry for our sins isn’t the same as repenting of them and asking God to forgive us — and Judas never took that step.”

As Graham pointed out, Peter represents the alternative. He asked Jesus to forgive him, and Christ not only did so; he gave him a tremendous responsibility: “Feed my sheep” ( John 21:17 ).

The Last Supper is remembered on Maundy Thursday, which is also the day Christians remember that Christ washed the disciples’ feet. Jesus taught that a disciples’ life was one of service to the Lord.

He himself came to obey God and save the world by giving his life. Christ taught the importance of regular repentance, but that one need not go through baptism every time he sins, stressing that the saving work would be done by him.

They ate their final meal together, where Jesus made a new covenant . “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” ( Matthew 26:28 ). Jesus painted a picture, which the disciples would only understand in retrospect.

Remembering these events provided the disciples with comfort and confidence in their Savior. Those lessons from Holy Week would inform their teaching as they risked their lives to live out and share the gospel.

Our Life-Long Confidence

The disciples were initially afraid after the crucifixion on   Friday and still confused when their Messiah appeared in the flesh, resurrected from the dead.

But after Jesus returned to Heaven, this final week became a holy reminder, which helped to strengthen their faith and pull together all they had learned about God in the previous three years.

We do not rely on these truths for a week but every day; yet, no other week in his life is as closely examined in Scripture as this one. This tells us how important Holy Week is.

Yearly patterns of worship can help to reinforce daily habits and bring them alive for the believer who tries to picture what it was like to live with Jesus, to lose him, and then to see him alive again after what appeared to be a crushing defeat.

Holy Week is the lead-up to the most important reversal in human history when Christ was raised from the dead.

Get your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide - Praying Through the Holy Week HERE . Print your own copy for a beautiful daily devotional leading up to Easter.

For further reading:

What Is Holy Week? The Biblical Events of Passion Week

Why Did the Crowd Shout ‘Hosanna in the Highest’ for Jesus?

What Is the Medical Account of the Crucifixion?

What Is More Important, the Death of Christ or His Resurrection?

What is Palm Sunday?

What is Spy Wednesday?

What is Maundy Thursday?

What is Good Friday?

What is Holy Saturday?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Javier_Art_Photography

How Does Being Poor in Spirit Make You Rich in God’s Kingdom?

I Am a Christian - Dana Che Williams

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31 Night Prayers: Powerful to Pray Evening Rest and Bedtime

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As part of my embracing the season, I want to delve into this affliction of worry.  How do we walk it out well?

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Jeannie Ewing

Have the most meaningful holy week with these reflections.

Holy Week has nearly arrived. For many of us, this comes as a welcome relief. Sacrifice, mortification, and suffering do not come easily. We’d rather carry on in our comfortable lives than stretch ourselves until it hurts for love of Him who was stretched on a Cross for us. As we prepare our souls to accept and surrender to the weight of His love before entering into the lighthearted celebration of the Easter season, it behooves us to pause each day with some degree of solemn appreciation for Him who was glorified by way of surrender and death.

May our death, too – both literally and mystically – bear the fruit that remains long after we have passed into our eternal reward.

Wednesday, April 5

“Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” ( John 8:31-32 )

How often do we wrestle with the question of Pilate: “What is truth?” As he faced Jesus, who is Truth incarnate, he could not answer that deep burning in his heart to make sense of the confusion that surrounded his position politically, as well as the spiritual turmoil he could not reconcile with. We, too, grapple with knowing truth. We seek clarity and often discover that life is full of empty holes and gray spaces that do not delineate between what is true and what is false.

Yet Jesus reminds us as we approach the holiest of weeks that we must remain in Him. If we do so, especially by rooting ourselves often in Scripture study and the Sacraments, we will understand truth by way of the illumination of the Holy Spirit He gives us. Truth is not relative. It is not mere philosophy. Truth is a Person. If we seek Jesus, we will know truth, live in it, and be free from the shackles of our sin.

Thursday, April 6

“Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought.” ( Psalm 105:4-5 )

Jesus, in His humanity, experienced weakness – of body, of spirit, of mind. When we are depleted, exhausted, and at the end of our ropes in life, we can recall the journey to Calvary that demonstrated Jesus’ manifestation of human weakness. Yet in that weakness, He was fortified by the Father’s grace. So must we turn to God all the more when we are tired, overwhelmed, and feeling lost.

The weakness of the human spirit can be rectified by serving God fervently and steadfastly. It often begins with gratitude. When we are enveloped in the chasm of darkness and all seems bleak, we must remember the ways God has answered our prayers in the past. If we do this, we will be reminded that He continues to faithfully guide us, even and especially in our darkest hours. Just when we believe all is for naught, God will grant us respite in some way. He is our strength and song.

Friday, April 7

“The Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.” ( Jeremiah 20:11 )

The depth of loneliness is not easily remedied by human consolation. Even if we do not have any known enemies, even if we are not specifically estranged from anyone or engaged in some sort of misunderstanding, we experience the chasm of loneliness. We do not feel like victors. We do not believe that those who have hurt or wounded us will ever come to understand our sorrow.

What does it mean to be a champion? I think of the “running the race” metaphor, despite the fact that I am not a runner. The one who completes the race, despite setbacks and inevitable stumbling blocks, is a mighty champion. He has persevered to the finish, swept in to overcome his weary flesh, and the reward is his victory.

The only victor we have is God. We cannot become champions of greatness on our own. It seems that our experiences of loneliness, persecution, and sorrow are meant to cultivate a deeper dependency on God for everything. We cannot abandon all that we are or all that we have without this understanding that, without God as our mighty champion, we are nothing and have nothing.

Saturday, April 8

“I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrow.” ( Jeremiah 31:13 )

Approaching Holy Week, we somberly recall the suffering of Jesus. Many of us will bring our own misery to Him as an offering of love. Every tear we shed as a gift for Jesus, every heartache and betrayal brought to Him with the intention of uniting all to His Sacred Wounds, draws us away from our own pain and into the compassion of loving Jesus for His own sake.

What must Jesus have felt as His time drew near to enter fully into His Passion? Was He in mourning, lamenting and grieving over the friendships He’d made and the life He’d lived? Did He feel completely alone, knowing that even His apostles would not fully grasp the value of His death until much later?

We may wonder if Jesus found comfort in the prophet’s words, “I will turn their mourning into joy.” He knew that suffering was meritless without the resurrection, yet His humanity did not want to undergo the unfathomable torment that was necessary for the joy, consolation, and celebration of the resurrection.

We don’t often realize what God is doing in our lives, much like the apostles. We can’t see the fulfillment of God’s promises for us when we are in the midst of an intense trial. Yet Jeremiah reminds us that joy comes in the morning and light after the dawn. It is our hope and treasure to cling to this hope when we are near despair.

Sunday, April 9 – Palm Sunday

“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” ( Isaiah 50:4-5 )

Sometimes we are the weary ones who need a refreshing and encouraging word to uplift us, but often we are the ones who are called to be God’s mouthpiece to others. It’s always a bit awkward at first to “speak to the weary,” because we aren’t sure what to say that will not be taken as offense. It’s hard to gauge whether or not a person in pain is open enough to receive words spoken in love.

Yet the Holy Spirit guides us on what to say, when, and how to say it. At times, we are meant to be silent and listen to someone who is struggling. At other times, however, we are called to speak up and to do so without fear of judgment, only to respond in love. Always we are to accompany those who feel forsaken, used, and forgotten. This is what it means to journey alongside another, to enter into his or her life experience, and to be the mouthpiece of God that will rouse them into hope once again.

Monday, April 10 – Monday of Holy Week

“Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.” ( Psalm 27:14 )

Waiting is likely one of the most difficult aspects of the human condition. I’ve never met anyone who enjoys waiting – in traffic, in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, for an important phone call, or for a long-awaited visit with a long-lost friend or relative. We despise waiting, whether it be for dreaded news or something joyful. We’d rather just know right away what’s going to happen and when.

Waiting for God is a different matter, however. God often asks us to wait, often for painfully extended periods of time without reprieve. Holy Week reminds us that waiting is part of our own passion experience. We wait for death, but ultimately we wait for what comes after death, which is new life. We know that, in order to become a new creation in Christ, we must undergo many trials that we’d rather bypass altogether. These are necessary, vital components to entering the joy of eternal bliss.

With courage and fidelity, we can wait for God, regardless of how long He asks us to hold off on taking action. This week especially, we can use our time of meditating on Jesus’ Passion to grow in patience and anticipate the joy of resurrection with hope that lingers in the midst of suffering.

Tuesday, April 11 – Tuesday of Holy Week

“You are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength.” ( Psalm 71:5 )

Right now I am pregnant with our third child. Each pregnancy has given me space to ponder the beauty and grace of offering my body for another human life to begin its existence in this world. It’s an incredibly humbling privilege and honor to bear a child in your womb, especially when you know that it is truly God who ordained this little soul to be formed from a tiny seed.

If we consider for a moment that our own beginnings were fashioned in our mothers’ wombs, we might realize that life itself would be impossible for us, were it not for God sustaining us. There are so many statistical reasons why our lives are a miracle from the very beginning, one of which is that the formation of a tiny baby is incredibly fragile and prone to death. It is God who has given us strength from our mother’s womb, from the beginning of our lives.

Knowing this, then, we should not falter in trusting God. He ordained our lives for a specific purpose. We are called to something that only we can do, and we must cleave to the hope that He will fulfill the work He has begun in us.

Wednesday, April 12 – Wednesday of Holy Week

“My appointed time draws near.” ( Matthew 26:18 )

I once received a Christmas card from my godfather that had a photograph of Jesus on the Cross. At the time, it seemed a little macabre and even odd to showcase the death of Jesus when we were supposed to be anticipating the joy of His birth. But as I thought more deeply about the message, I realize it was likely the most important one of all: Jesus was born so that He would die for us. That is the sole reason the Father sent Him to earth.

We always think of Lent as being the most appropriate time to really meditate about Jesus’ Passion, but throughout the rest of the liturgical calendar, we seldom give it much thought. It seems fitting that we should, in some way, celebrate Lent all year long. In fact, it should be very much a part of our everyday prayer – to recall with fond appreciation and immense love that Jesus was born so that we might be born to eternal life. And life has a high price.

As the “appointed time draws near” for entering into Jesus’ death, we might do well to ask Him how we can console His Heart every day from this point onward. It is our gift of gratitude for the price of love.

What are you doing to transform your Holy Week this year? Share in the comments!

About the author.

JEANNIE EWING is a Catholic spirituality writer and national inspirational speaker. Among her eight books, "From Grief to Grace: The Journey from Tragedy to Triumph", is her most popular. She is a frequent guest on podcasts, radio shows, and has appeared on EWTN, CatholicTV, and ShalomWorld. Her deepest desire is to accompany those who suffer and are lonely. Visit her website at jeannieewing.com for more information.

• Posts by Jeannie Ewing

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Your How-To for Holy Week: Traditions to Make Every Day of Holy Week Meaningful

Do you have any Holy Week traditions?

I made plans for Holy Week…and, well, I kind of made this post for myself so I can return to it each year.  So I created a “How-to Holy Week” list, with traditions to make every day of Holy Week meaningful.

Here’s my list:

Would you add anything to the list?

What are your plans for Holy Week?

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[See also: How to Gain a Plenary Indulgence this Holy Week, In One Infographic ]

[See also: This Holy Week, Raise Your Soul with Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” Masterpiece ]

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Holy Week reflections

Where are you going next week?” was a question I got asked several times by different people last week, implying an expectation that I would be traveling somewhere with the family. I must confess to some discomfort about getting asked that question whenever Holy Week approaches, as my answer would normally be a simple “We’re just staying home.” The discomfort comes from not wanting to come across as either boring or sounding holier-than-thou to friends for whom going to the beach at this time every year seems a matter of course.

Truth to tell, through most of my professional life, I’ve more often than not looked at Holy Week as my chance to catch up on a seemingly perennial work backlog. I think of catching up with work deadlines then as a productive form of penitence, although deep in my heart, I feel it’s not exactly right either. In my early childhood, I remember the days from Holy Thursday until Easter Sunday as a completely “dead” period: everything was closed, TV screens were blank, radio stations were off the air, and there were no newspapers. In our family, we grew up with the admonition that “Bawal tumawa, patay ang Diyos” (don’t laugh or smile, because God is dead) all the way until Easter Sunday. Our pious father would gather the family around the living room on Good Friday to read passages from the Bible. And as children, we siblings dreaded having to sit through the seemingly endless church rite in the afternoon, where a drab clapper replaced the musical tone of the altar bells, and purple cloth covered all the figures.

Holy Saturday or Black Saturday used to be as “dead” as Holy Thursday and Good Friday. It was (and still is) the day favored for young boys entering puberty to be circumcised, supposedly on the belief that it would result in less blood than if done at another time. And like on New Year’s Eve, it was (and still is) believed that children could grow taller if they jumped as high as they could in the morning before the church bells toll. Folk beliefs aside, the solemnity that used to be accorded to Black Saturday (more positively termed “Sabado de Gloria” in Filipino) was all but gone by the time I was in college in the 1970s. Unlike in my younger years, shops, malls, and movie houses would reopen by then, as they routinely do now, never mind that as our old folks used to admonish, “patay pa rin ang Diyos” (God remains dead).

It’s understandable that Holy Week holds little significance in most other countries, especially those that are non-Catholic, and Holy Thursday and/or Good Friday are not public holidays, including in—guess what—Italy and Vatican City itself! (On the other hand, Easter Monday is a public holiday in Italy and the Vatican, and in other countries like Australia, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand.) Still, the Philippines remains one of a few countries that accord such public importance to the Holy Week, and observe the solemnity thereof. Christians, especially Catholics, are supposed to see it as a time for reflection and penance, and Easter as a time for renewal. This is where the common practice of going to the beach or resort during the Holy Week holidays would appear to collide with religious values, especially in this country that counts 85 percent of its population as Christian, with 79 percent Roman Catholic.

Would hitting the beaches this Holy Week break run counter to one’s Christian faith? Would Catholics be sinning if they ate meat and failed to fast on Good Friday, or failed to abstain from eating meat on the previous Fridays of Lent? Many have long argued that abstinence from meat is meaningless when people can’t even afford it, cannot eat it for medical reasons, or actually prefer fish and seafood anyway, as many people do.

The Catholic Church, led by progressive Pope Francis himself, has not been oblivious to this. I find a message attributed to Archbishop Socrates Villegas making the social media rounds to be on point. Among other things, he says: “Fasting is good, but without malasakit (concern) for others, it is nothing. Prayer is good, but without remembering others and laying aside personal comfort, it is just an ego trip. Helping the poor and giving alms are good, but if you do it for show or to get a ‘feel good’ reward later, it is just a noisy bell … Can we go to the beach during Holy Week? If it will help you love like Jesus, yes, you can … The highest law is not silence but love. Silence speaks only if that silence is loving … Must the face look sour and gloomy during Holy Week? Love begins with a smile. Make someone happy this Holy Week. Make someone feel loved. With your smile, show that God is love.”

Just as I ended writing this, a family member messaged that they were leaving for Bali to spend the week there. I know their Holy Week need not be any less blessed than ours.

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• Self-reflect in Holy Week: 10 Questions You May Ask Yourself

Each and everyone may have their own tradition during the Holy Week. Some do Visita Iglesia or visit their hometowns, while others are out and about enjoying the long weekend. Holy Week is indeed a break for most of us, but we should not forget its true essence.

It is the time to reflect on ourselves, embrace our own shortcomings and forgive those who hurt or offended us in any way as a preparation for Easter. It is a chance for us to be renewed and start a new beginning with a clear heart and mind.

Below is a list of questions you might want to ask yourself to reflect as you take a break this Holy Week:

• How are you feeling these days?
• What are the things about yourself that have changed over time?
• Do you love your neighbors just like how Jesus loves you?
• How will you reconcile with the people you once hurt or offended?
• Have you forgiven those who did you wrong?
• How can you be a source of light for others?
• What are your priorities in life? Is God part of them?
• Are you keeping God’s commandments?
• Have you tried reconnecting with God on your own in silence?
• Do you allow God to speak to you? Have you reflected on what He has told you?

May these questions help you reassess your faith and prepare yourselves for a new beginning. Find time to express your love and gratitude to the people around you. Let this be a season of meditating, reflecting, and reconnecting. May we all have a blessed Holy Week.

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5 Things To Do To Make Holy Week The Most Important Week Of The Year

by Becky Roach Easter , Faith & Life , Holy Week , Lent

Holy Week should be the most important week of the year for all Christians. It should be the week in which we give of ourselves to the fullest in order to fully receive Christ during the Easter celebration. That’s the ideal.

However, we all know that sometimes life just gets in the way. Work or school, various activities, and even our family responsibilities can keep us from making the most of the week that should be set apart from all others.

Other times it’s not our busyness that prevents us from living out Holy Week, it’s our laziness. Maybe we’ve worked so hard to sacrifice during Lent that, by the time Holy Week hits, we’re done or, maybe, we never even started Lent and when Holy Week begins we feel no motivation to try.

Whatever your situation is, Jesus is still calling you to seek Him with all your heart during this time. Use our 5 tips to help you make the most of Holy Week this year. Come Easter Sunday, you will be so happy that you put forth the time and effort to be with Christ.

5 Ways To Make Holy Week The Most Important Week Of The Year

More Holy Week Resources

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Sacred Catholic Music For Holy Week & Easter Sunday

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4 Vital Lessons That Holy Week Teaches Us About Being A Christian Today

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Weep, Prepare, or Rejoice: What Are We Supposed To Do On Holy Saturday?

https://catholic-link.org/quotes/beautiful-ancient-holy-saturday-homily/

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How your family can spend holy week at home.

In this article:

When is Holy Week 2024 in the Philippines?

How can you celebrate holy week at home, observe the sacred days at home with unshaken faith.

While we can once again participate in processions, Visita Iglesia , and other Holy Week activities, spending Holy Week at home can continue to be as solemn and meaningful as it has been during the pandemic. 

Below are some ways to keep the traditions alive and make your Holy Week celebration meaningful, whether you choose to attend public gatherings or observe from the comfort of your home.

• Put on Holy Week titles on screen.

If you have a Netflix subscription , you can spend this week by putting your "Continue Watching" titles on hold and opting for movies that feature religious and biblical themes for your movie night .

Some of the faith-based titles you can watch on Netflix are The Two Popes (2019), Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018), The Dreamseller (2016), 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015), and Heaven is for Real (2014). 

You can subscribe to Netflix without a credit card if you don’t have an account yet.

• Have an Easter Sunday feast.

Since this is a time to reflect on one's spiritual health, Roman Catholics are encouraged to refrain from eating any type of meat (i.e. pork, chicken, beef, etc.) on Fridays and the entirety of Holy Week to honor the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. Instead, you can eat vegetables and various types of seafood.

Here are some Filipino dishes you can consume during this time: Ginisang Ampalaya (optional: with egg), Ginataang Tilapia, Fried Tilapia with Talong, Monggo Guisado with Tinapa.

• Enjoy an easter egg scavenger hunt.

For your Easter celebration, you can do the classic Easter egg hunt indoors or around your garden for the little ones and the young at heart. You can use either real eggs dyed in vibrant colors or plastic eggs filled with candy or knick-knacks (or a mix of both) for the event. Ideally, set aside about 10 eggs for each person.

Hide the eggs in and around the house, some in more obvious locations and others in challenging spots that still make sense for kids. Don't forget to offer exciting Easter prizes and remind the children why the Easter egg hunt is a tradition for a memorable commemoration of Jesus' resurrection.

• Watch a live stream of the church service.

Thanks to the digital era, many parish priests and churches have started live-streaming their daily and Sunday masses online. While it's still different from worshipping God and publicly praying at a church, it's a safe way to be united in spiritual communion.

Take note of the time of the online live streams of the Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday masses of your local church or parish priest. As an alternative to church communion, you can take unleavened bread and grape juice.

• Hold a virtual Visita Iglesia.

One of the creative ideas for Maundy Thursday that will allow you to practice your faith at home and continue your custom of visiting seven churches is by using Google Maps. You can view the streets and images of the church or marvel at the 360-degree views inside them, including the following:

• Manila Cathedral
• San Agustin Church
• Santo Sepulcro Parish 
• St. James the Apostle Parish
• Basilica Menor del Santo Niño
• Our Lady of the Gate Parish
• San Pedro Cathedral

• Meditate and Reflect on Notable Bible Passages

Are you wondering how to celebrate Good Friday? Good Friday is traditionally spent to reflect. With many Roman Catholics participating in processions during this day, you can take time to meditate at home and solemnly honor how Jesus suffered for your sins.

Put your screen down for a while and try to read and reflect on notable passages in the Bible. You can also try meditation apps to help you find calmness, wellness and balance in your life.

As we spend these holy days at home, let's focus on safety and reflection. Take this time to deepen your spirituality and faith through moments of quiet contemplation and prayer. May this Holy Week at home with your family be a meaningful chance to pause, reflect, and strengthen your spiritual journey. 

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Make an essay on how you spend your Holy Week. Pls answer this question cause I have been waiting this for 6 hrs​

I've spent my Holy Week with my family. We did our usual chores that week like we used to everyday. But do you know what makes this year's holy week special? Even though we experienced our Holy Week last year with the pandemic, we're still strong as ever. With His guidance, we made it together until now.

Spending the holy week with our families is still the best.

PS. Hindi ko po sure ito but I hope this helps even a bit.

• Thank you so much

New questions in Filipino