Holy Week is a sacred time for Christians. It commemorates the mysteries of salvation based on the remembrance of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, passes through Good Friday (day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus) and ends on Easter Sunday, when the resurrection of Christ is celebrated.
O Easter Triduum it is the most important moment of Holy Week, as it represents human salvation and the renewal of life. It starts on Maundy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. The Triduum establishes the link between the end of Lent and Easter.
During Holy Week, Christians remember the actions and reflect on the messages of Jesus Christ. It is also the time when Christians renew their faith and their commitment to live according to the teachings of Christ.
Due to its importance, Holy Week is marked by many rituals that refer to important events in the last moments of Jesus' life. The Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper, which marks the beginning of the Triduum, the Enactment of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ and the Procession of the Paschal Candle are some of these traditional rituals.
Holy Week changes the date every year due to the fact that the Christian Passover is related to the Jewish Passover. Events such as the Last Supper and the death of Christ took place during the Passover, which is defined according to the phases of the Moon. Since the phases of the Moon do not happen on the same dates every year, these dates also vary from year to year.
Meaning of each day of Holy Week
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, is a festive date. It celebrates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, on which occasion he was received with great enthusiasm by the people, who acclaimed him as Lord and Savior, waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna to the son of David!”.
On that day, the Mass of branches, promoted by the Catholic Church, begins in the streets of cities with a procession. The faithful usually bring palm branches and other trees to the procession. During the procession and mass, the branches are blessed.
monday
After sleeping in Bethany, Jesus and his disciples returned to the city of Jerusalem. On that day, Jesus drove out the peddlers and shoppers who did business inside the Temple in Jerusalem. This passage was known as temple cleaning.
In Matthew 21:12-22, Jesus says:
It is written: My house will be called a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a den of thieves.
That same day, Jesus healed the lame and blind inside the temple.
Holy Monday precedes the most important moments of the Week and is characterized as a date of preparation for the Passion.
Good Tuesday
According to the Bible, on Tuesday Jesus returned to Jerusalem and was confronted by the temple's religious authorities, angry that Jesus was setting himself up as a spiritual authority. The conspiracies against Jesus were growing, and there was even an ambush attempt to arrest him.
At the end of the day, Jesus went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he prophesied of the Last Judgment, the end of time and his return (Parusia). In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says:
However, no one knows the date and hour when the end will come, not even the angels, not even the Son of God. Only the Father knows.
Good Wednesday
There is no information in the Bible about what Jesus did that day. It may be that he remained in Bethany, close to his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Let's remember that one of Jesus' best-known miracles is the resurrection of Lazarus, which took place long ago.
In Catholic parishes in Brazil, this day is marked by the Procession of the Meeting, which symbolically reconstructs the encounter between Jesus and his mother Mary during the Via Sacra (Via Crucis).
In the procession, the men depart from a point in the city carrying the image of Nosso Senhor dos Passos. The women depart from another point carrying N's litter. Mrs. of Pains. At a given moment, both processions meet.
Holy Thursday
Thursday is a very important day in Holy Week. On that day, the Last Supper, in which Jesus and his apostles commemorated the Jewish Passover. Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, the most important moment of Holy Week. It is also on this date that the Lent.
One of the most traditional rites practiced on Maundy Thursday is the Wash feet, which makes reference to a biblical passage that says that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples after sunset on Thursday. This gesture symbolizes solidarity and humility. With him, Jesus put himself at the service of the other, in order to redeem or wash away sins.
The Foot Wash rite takes place during the Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper, which celebrates the institution of the Eucharist (or Communion) occurred during the Last Supper.
Taking the bread, he gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in memory of me". Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20).
That same day, after supper, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. He was arrested shortly thereafter after being betrayed by Judas.
see the meaning of eucharist.
Good friday
This date is also called Good Friday, since that day Jesus was tried, condemned and killed. Passion comes from the Latin word Passion, which means suffering.
Good Friday recalls the most difficult moments of the last days of Christ, of which the road to Calvary (Via Sacra) and the crucifixion are a part. For Christians, this date is marked by the gesture of unconditional love of Jesus, who gave his life and on his shoulders carried all the sins of humanity.
Friday, for Christians, is a time of prayer and fasting. On that day the traditional reenactment of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ takes place in many places.
Learn more about Friday of passion.
holy saturday
Between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday, there are no celebrations or communions. Holy Saturday, also called Hallelujah Saturday, is the day Jesus Christ lies in his tomb. That is why, Saturday is dedicated to prayer and meditation, waiting for the resurrection.
Only Saturday night does the Easter Vigil, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:1-10, we read that at the end of the Sabbath the angel of the Lord said that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb because he had risen, just as he had prophesied.
In fact, the Easter Vigil, although it takes place on Saturday night, must be considered a celebration of Easter Sunday, as for Jews one day ends at dusk.
Learn more about Saturday of Hallelujah.
Easter Sunday
O Resurrection Sunday it is a day of joy for Christians. It was on that day that, according to the Bible, Jesus was resurrected and made at least five apparitions, one of them to Mary Magdalene and others to his disciples.
Sunday is the day Christians announce the truth that Christ conquered death, indicating that one day they too will be saved.
Passover is a word of Hebrew origin that means “passage”. THE Christian Easter commemorates Christ's passing from the world of the dead to life. Thus, Christ overcame death and purchased eternal life for all who believe in him.
See too:
- meaning of easter
- Easter symbols
- Meaning, History and Symbols of Christianity
- Definition of Ash Wednesday
- Definition of Corpus Christi