We are entering into a most beautiful and meaningful time in the liturgical year: the Holy Week. 

Some of the first uses of the name Holy Week appeared in the 4th-century from St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and St. Epiphanius of Constantia when just Good Friday and Holy Saturday were recognized as holy days. Before the Nicene Creed of 325, the early Christian Church focused its observance on the feast of the Christian Passover the night before Easter Sunday. 

By the end of the 4th century, the tradition had been established of honoring the various events on the days of the week on which they happened: 

  • Judas’s betrayal and introduction of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday 
  • the Passion and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday
  • His burial on Holy Saturday
  • and His Resurrection on Easter Sunday

Four special ceremonies commemorate the events of Christ’s Passion from His entrance into Jerusalem, when palm branches were placed in His path, through His arrest on Holy Thursday and Crucifixion on Good Friday, to Holy Saturday, the day that Christ’s body lay in the tomb.

The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery.

The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to take up His Cross and undergo the passion and death. It is symbolic that we too enter with Jesus into this Holy Week where we are called to meditate on Jesus’ passion and death on the cross and thus draw meaning to our own cross and suffering. The waving of palms or olive branches indicates that Christ is our victorious King. 

Let us also, like the people of Israel, put our best on the way of Jesus and accept him as our King who brought victory through his cross and death. 

I wish you all a very fruitful and spiritual Holy Week.