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Q & A about Holy Week
I'd like to share to all of you my dear readers what I've researched on the internet about Holy Week.
What is Holy Week?
Holy Week is the final week of Lent. It commemorates the events of our Lord's last week before His death. The chief festivals of Holy Week are Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil (Holy Saturday). Holy Week, together with Easter is the most sacred part of the Christian calendar -- the celebration of the death and resurrection Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
What is Palm Sunday?
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter On this day, Jesus, accompanied by His disciples, entered the city of Jerusalem in triumph. An enthusiastic crowd greeted Jesus by spreading palm branches along the road and shouting Hosanna, a Hebrew expression meaning "save us." The throng hailed Jesus as the "Son of David," the Messiah promised long ago by God. Services on Palm Sunday traditionally begin with a joyful procession into the sanctuary. Worshipers often carry palm leaves or wear crosses made of palm.
What is the Triduum?
The most solemn and joyful celebration of the Christian calendar is the period from Maundy Thursday through Holy Saturday. Worship on these days or evenings are traditionally considered to be parts of an unbroken liturgical service called the Triduum (Latin for "Three Days"). In the earliest days of the Christian church, the events we commemorate in the Triduum were celebrated in one day and night's continuous worship service called the Pascha (from the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word for "Passover").
What is Maundy Thursday?
The first part of the Triduum begins on the evening of Maundy Thursday (also called Holy Thursday), during which Christians recall the events that took place the night Jesus was betrayed. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke concentrate on the institution of the Lord's Supper. The gospel of John focuses instead on the Lord's final teachings to His disciples, dramatically punctuated by His washing of their feet. The word "maundy" is derived from the Latin phrase mandatum novum, meaning "new commandment." t refers to the Lord's words to His apostles as recorded in John 13:34: A new command I give you: love one another.
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday, the second day of the Triduum, is the solemn remembrance of Jesus' death on the cross. The English designation of "Good Friday" is apparently a corruption of "God's Friday," although the term is a very fitting one since the Lord's death was for our eternal good.
What is the Great Vigil of Easter?
The third and final day of the Triduum is Holy Saturday, known from antiquity as the Great Vigil. The Great Vigil was for many centuries the most important festival of the entire church year. Although it has more or less been maintained in Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions, the Vigil all but disappeared from the liturgical practices of other denominations. Thankfully, it is being rediscovered by many church bodies. In fact, it is no longer an unusual thing to find Lutheran congregations celebrating the Great Vigil on the night of Holy Saturday or on Easter morning at sunrise.
My dear readers, Take a time to reflect on these days. May you be able to give time to go to church, have a visita iglesia, witness the Pagtaltal in Guimaras, or do a simple act of repentance. HAPPY HOLY WEEK!
For more information about Holy Week just log on to http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/holyweek.htm