I was
sitting in Mass on Palm Sunday and as I looked up at all of the red material covering
the sacred images, I asked myself, “Why
haven’t we done this in our home?”
I
immediately made plans to go out and get some material to cover our crucifixes
and other images.
Father’s
homily that night, although he wasn’t talking about coverings, suggested that
our homes should reflect this very sacred week, in addition to our devotional
acts as well.
It is a
good reminder to us to set this week apart, to free ourselves up to be able to focus
on all that Jesus did for us. Father
reminded us that the entire week is holy because the days leading up to the
crucifixion would have found Jesus preparing for his sacrifice.
We don’t
tend to think like that, do we, to set the entire week apart?
Too often
we just arrive on Easter Sunday ready to celebrate, while overlooking not only
the reason we celebrate, but what had to take place to get us there.
So, with that
in mind, let’s do a quick overview.
So here we
go, in a nutshell:
We worked
through the forty days before Easter during the season of Lent. It reminded us of the time Jesus fasted in
the desert when he was tempted by the devil.
He, of course, resisted the devil’s scheming. Check out the Gospel of Luke in the New
Testament, Chapter 4 to read about it.
As the
conclusion of Lent arrives with Holy Thursday, we begin three holy days,
starting with evening Mass on Thursday. Each
Mass we celebrate is a participation in the very last supper Jesus had with his
apostles, but on this night—the eve of his crucifixion—we strip the altar after
Mass and leave the tabernacle empty.
Normally, any remaining communion that remains after this particular Mass
is reserved in the *tabernacle, but not on this night.
On this
night, we process with the sacred host to a specially prepared room, set up to
remind us of the agony Jesus suffered in the garden following his last supper
with his apostles. It is always a
beautiful opportunity to spend time with Jesus and pray before the **Blessed
Sacrament.
You see, it
was there, in the garden (read about it in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 22, Verse
39) that the disciples of Jesus fell asleep while he intimately prayed to the
Father, suffering tremendous agony as he anticipated his passion and death,
which he willingly accepted.
Jesus’ submission
to the Father’s will has always been for Christians not only a model for us in
our own life to willingly accept God’s will, but a genuine revelation of his
love for us.
We do not
“re-sacrifice” Jesus as we celebrate Mass, but enter into that last supper that
took place so many years ago. You see,
God works outside of time. Time is just
for us, so it is entirely reasonable that we are able to enter into that very moment
that he shared with them; he is sharing it with us today as well.
Holy
Thursday leads to Good Friday. That’s
the day Jesus died on the cross. It is a
very solemn day and Mass is not celebrated, although we are nourished and
strengthened in our sorrow by receiving Holy Communion that was ***consecrated
on Holy Thursday. From Holy Thursday,
enough is reserved to be shared with those who attend Good Friday services.
Our big day
is Holy Saturday when we celebrate the vigil of Easter. This is the night before Easter, the
centerpiece of our church year and the time that anyone entering the Church receives
the sacraments while the entire congregation makes a very loud, joyful noise of
thanksgiving and praise!
Baptism is
the central sacrament received at the Easter Vigil, along with Confirmation and
Holy Eucharist (Communion). It is a HUGE
celebration.
What is the
cause of all this celebrating?
The life,
death and resurrection of Jesus is the focal point of Holy Week and the Easter
celebration of the resurrection of Jesus is the culmination of that loving act.
Why does it
matter to any of us that Jesus died and was resurrected (raised from the dead)?
Well, if he
had just died and not been raised up, that would be the end of a nice
story. He would have been considered a
good guy, who loved God and died for his (Jewish) faith; like a lot of other
holy people.
It is in
his resurrection—his rising from the dead—that the Christian event takes on new
life (read about his resurrection in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24.)
Because
Jesus overcame death and was raised, we can be certain that everything he said
and everything he did was true. And that
being the case, we believe wholeheartedly that we, too, will have eternal life
after we die if we live according to what he taught, best as we can.
Death is no
longer the final word on our life’s journey.
And that is certainly worth celebrating! This is what baptism is all about!
You see,
Christianity isn’t about being a nice person (although that is a good thing.) It is being baptized in the name of the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit and accepting the truth about who Jesus was (and
is), the reason he came, what he did, and living our lives accordingly. Baptism forever marks us as a child of God.
Of course,
history tells us that Jesus really lived, and as the resurrection event
unfolds, there is no doubt about what took place because there were tons of
witnesses (ordinary people like you and I) who were actually there and talked
about it.
But, in the
end, we ultimately do move on faith.
I hope this
little summary has helped those of you who needed a refresher as well as those
of you who are actively seeking information about Christianity.
Please feel
free to share it with anyone you know who might be interested and I would
encourage you to find a friend and step into holy week to see what all the fuss
is about.
You will never regret it.
Have a
beautiful Holy Week.
Janet
Cassidy
Janetcassidy.com
*A tabernacle is an
ornate receptacle near the altar where any host remaining after Mass are
reserved.
**The Blessed Sacrament is
the Body of Christ. This can be
displayed for Adoration.
***Consecration, or the act of
consecrating, is the power of God during Mass, acting upon ordinary bread and
wine to transform it into the Body and Blood of Jesus.
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