What will you do at the end of each of the Holy Week services? If you\u2019re like most of us, you head home and leave all that church-y stuff back in the pews. There\u2019s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it\u2019s good that you attended. But, Holy Week can be so much more.<\/p>\n
Let me explain. The services of the Triduum \u2013 the Mass of the Lord\u2019s Supper on Holy Thursday, Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, and Mass on Easter Sunday \u2013 are only part of all that transpired during those days in the life of our Lord.<\/p>\n
After the Last Supper, Jesus and the Apostles didn\u2019t just go home and crawl into bed. The Apostles were scattered, scared out of their wits. Jesus was in prison, probably mistreated, and very aware of what was gong to happen the next day.<\/p>\n
On Good Friday morning, he was taken before Pilate, mocked, judged, beaten, spat upon, crowned with thorns, scourged, and laden with the penalty of death by crucifixion. He wasn\u2019t just sitting around playing dice with the other prisoners.<\/p>\n
After the crucifixion, he was laid in the tomb. This must have been a horribly dark time for those he left behind \u2013 the Blessed Mother, the Apostles, and the women who had followed him so faithfully for the past three years.<\/p>\n
And Jesus? He descended into hell. Sounds shocking, doesn\u2019t it? Here\u2019s how the Catechism explains it:<\/p>\n
Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, \u201chell\u201d \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Sheol\u00a0<\/i>in Hebrew or\u00a0<\/span>Hades\u00a0<\/i>in Greek \u2013 because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.<\/span>\u00a0Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into \u201cAbraham\u2019s bosom\u201d:<\/span>\u00a0\u201cIt is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham\u2019s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nIt\u2019s tempting to relax after Good Friday services and jump right into Easter preparations. But, if we do that, we miss a very important aspect of Holy Week.<\/p>\n
All of Holy Saturday, Jesus still was in the tomb. The world was still, so to speak, yet grieving over the Passion and Crucifixion and in hopeful anticipation of the Resurrection. If we just go about our business getting ready to celebrate on Easter, we miss a rich opportunity to take part in that stillness.<\/p>\n
And then, of course, on Sunday morning \u2013 Easter joy!<\/p>\n
There are many ways that we can further enhance that experience of living Holy Week with our Lord. Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n
\u2013 Make a prayer corner (if you don\u2019t have one already) and drape it with a purple cloth. You might want to drape a purple cloth over the Crucifix, too, as some Catholic churches do.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Read the appropriate Scripture passages for the various events, especially the ones that weren\u2019t included in the services.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Burn a votive candle in your prayer corner from Good Friday evening to Easter Sunday morning to remind you of Jesus\u2019 time in the tomb. Of course, safety takes priority \u2013 don\u2019t leave a candle burning if no one\u2019s at home to watch it!<\/p>\n
\u2013 Maintain silence in the house from Holy Thursday through Easter morning. Keep all the gizmos turned off unless it\u2019s dire necessity \u2013 radios, televisions, computers, phones, etc.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Keep the blinds and\/or curtains closed from Holy Thursday evening until Easter Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Eat simply during those days (remember, it\u2019s still Lent). You might want to try your hand at a mock Passover supper on Holy Thursday. The meaning will make up for what\u2019s lacking in authenticity.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Say the Stations of the Cross, particularly on Good Friday. Try to picture each of the stations, imagining that you actually were there. You might want to spread them out, saying one station every few hours between Holy Thursday and Easter morning.<\/p>\n
\u2013 After Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday morning, change the cloth in your prayer corner to white or pink. Take the drape off the Crucifix. Add an Easter lily or candle and arrange things to reflect the Resurrection.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Repeat the Creed and give thanks to God. Christ is risen!<\/p>\n
Attending the Triduum services is amazing. We are so blessed to have the beautiful traditions of our Catholic Faith. In and of themselves, they are incredible, but they become even more incredible when we live them at home as well as in the pew.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Image:\u00a0Peter Gertner, Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The services of the Triduum – the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, and Mass on Easter Sunday – are only part of all that transpired during those days in the life of our Lord.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2133,"featured_media":195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lent"],"yoast_head":"\n
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