My thoughts on Holy Week

My thoughts on Holy Week

Holy Week is one of the most busiest times in the Catholic Church.  I use the word "busy" to describe the many events or liturgies that take place during the week.

The Catholic Church does an excellent job in presenting the redemptive act of Christ in a powerful sensual manner.  From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, each of these liturgies offers so much stimuli to the human mind.  So much is going on that one has no choice but to absorb each detail in.

I have always been a philosopher since I could remember.  Thinking about thinking has been a hobby of mine that has sometimes driven my friends and relatives to drink (joking).  I love to think about things and contemplate them.  Here are some thoughts that came to mind while serving at Holy Week's liturgies.  


Palm Sunday
On this day, the visual of the people with palms brings about a reflection of that day when the people in Jerusalem praised their King Christ.  I was reminded of how hypocritical we all can be.  We praise God and then offend Him with our sins. God is indeed patient with each of us.  He calmly rides into our lives only to be rejected by us every time we sin.


Chrism Mass
During chrism Mass, the bishop consecrates the oils that will be used to celebrate the sacraments throughout his diocese.  The display of the oils brought to mind something that we often take for granted - cooking.  Most of us use oil to cook in our homes.  Oil in a sense is the first ingredient in most meals.  It is not strange that oil would be the first "ingredient" to prepare us for the banquet that are the Sacraments of the Church.

Holy Thursday
During Holy Thursday, we commemorate the Last Supper of Christ.  Christ gathered His disciples and had the Passover seder.  Priests also renew their promises during this Mass.  During this Mass, the washing of the feet takes place.  This brings about many thoughts for meditation.  I visualize Christ, the Son of God and second person of the Blessed Trinity washing the feet of men who are sinners.  This is a powerful image and one that is unique to religion in general.  The gods of other religions have man as the slave of the deity.  In Christianity, God is the servant.  This is a very powerful image.  The transference of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose is another powerful image.  It literally feels like Christ was arrested and taken away from us.  The mood is a somber one that brings about the reflection of what life is without God.  We are alone, sad, and hopeless.

Good Friday
Good Friday's Liturgy of the Passion is one that while being long, brings about many instances for reflection.  The reading of the Word and the participation of the people makes the Passion come alive in the church.  You get the sense of actually being there and watching Jesus before Pilate.  The unveiling of the wood of the Cross is another instance of reflection.  The mystery of the Cross is something we often wrestle with.  Why did God have to die?  Why on a Cross?  The unveiling reminds us of this mystery.  The sight of an empty church with statues and images covered, no crucifixes, the Tabernacle open and no candle light, not even from the Sanctuary lamp is a reflection in itself.  Without Christ, the Church is nothing.  The Church loses its beauty without Him.
Some Latino and Italian parishes have processions where people dress up like the main persons in the Passion.  They reenact the Stations of the Cross vividly that you actually feel like you're there 2000 years ago.  Each station brings about a reflection.  The ones that stood out to me were the times Jesus fell.  I began to think, Jesus fell 3 times.  Once for the past, present and future.  He took on the sins of each time period, but they did not keep Him down.  Christ stood back up.  The stations of Simon the Cyrene and Mary, Christ's mother approaching Christ are also powerful images to reflect on.  Mary embracing her son is a very powerful images.  Sometimes, kids get ashamed of being around their moms.  Here we have Mary embracing her Son, a grown man.  This image shows the importance of the love between parents and children.  Jesus was not ashamed or embarrassed of having His mom around.  Also, the mere fact that Mary could embrace God in such a way is awesome.  Furthermore, God does not need anyone, yet Simon helps Him carry His cross.  When we grow in grace and get closer to Christ, we alleviate His suffering just like Simon approached Christ and helped him carry the Cross.

Easter Vigil
The Easter vigil has so many instances for reflection.  The priest lights fire outside of the Church and prepares the Paschal candle.  The fire reminds us that Christ is the light.  Without light, nothing can survive in this world.  If the Sun were to turn off one day, our world would become a dark frozen wasteland.  Similarly, without Christ, we become nothing more than animals acting out our instinctual habits.  The image of a darken Church shows this.  Without Christ, the Church is dark and lonely.  It is a useless building just there on a street block.  The procession with the Paschal candle reminds us that Christ is the light.  With the small flame of this candle, we are able to see the Church's inside.  The visual of the people lighting their candles from the Paschal candles is awesome.  It shows Christ's light being transferred to each of us.  As each candle is lit, its owner's face becomes visible.  We are no longer dark images in a dark Church.  We have our image restored to us via the light of Christ and rightfully so since we are made in God's image.  The gloria and the ringing of the bells shows us the joy the church has knowing that Christ has risen.  The catechumens are received into the church showing that the Church has new life in the risen Christ.


Easter Sunday
The Church looks beautiful again.  It has flowers, the statues and images are uncovered, the Blessed Sacrament is there.  The Church has life once again.  It is not an empty dark building.  Similarly, we have new life in Christ.  We all renew our Baptism promises.


Holy Week is indeed Holy.  If you have not participated in the above liturgies.  I recommend that you do next year.  The Liturgies for this week are so rich in symbolism and visuals.              

Prayer for the New Year

All make the sign of the cross. The leader begins:

Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
R/. And peace to his people on earth!

The leader may use these or similar words to introduce the blessing:

Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years,
for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.

Then the Scripture is read, Book of Genesis 1:14-19:

Listen to the words of the Book of Genesis:

God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.

(The family’s Bible may be used for an alternate reading such as Psalm 90:1-4.)

Reader: The Word of the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.

After a time of silence, members of the household offer prayers of thanksgiving for the past year, and of intercession for the year to come. On January 1, it may be appropriate to conclude these prayers with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Part VII: Litanies) since this is the solemn feast of Mary, Mother of God. In conclusion, all join hands for the Lord’s Prayer. Then the leader continues:

Let us now pray for God’s blessing in the new year.

After a short silence, parents may place their hands on their children in blessing as the leader says:

Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
R/. Amen.

Another prayer for peace may be said:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
R/. Amen.

—Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

The leader says:

Let us bless the Lord.

All respond, making the sign of the cross:

Thanks be to God.

The prayer may conclude with the singing of a Christmas carol.

—From "Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers"

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