Holy Week: The Cornerstone of our Year

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The Rev. Dr. Bob Honeychurch, Interim Rector

Of the fifty-two weeks which comprise the Christian year, none stands out as the cornerstone around which everything else is constructed more than the week which begins with Palm Sunday, and concludes with the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.  Unlike the date of Christmas, which is fixed at December 25, the date of Easter moves from year to year.  The date for Easter is calculated using a combination of the solar and lunar calendars. So, to determine the date for Easter in any given year, the following formula is used.  Easter always falls on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the first day of Spring.  Palm Sunday, and the beginning of Holy Week, always begins the week prior to Easter.

Holy Week might best be described as one long, extended liturgical drama.  Based on the major episodes in Jesus’ life during his final week, it begins with all of the pomp and ceremony of Palm Sunday, as we re-enact Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, being hailed as a messiah, with all of the hopes and dreams of the community caught up in his arrival.

The mood swiftly changes, however, as four days pass, and we arrive at Thursday.  Called “Maundy Thursday”, the name is drawn from the Latin word “mandatum” (the origin of our English words “mandate” and “commandment”).  It was on this night that Jesus instituted the Last Supper (on the night before he was betrayed) and, in John’s gospel, washed the feet of his disciples, giving them a “new commandment” to love one another has he loved them.

The following day brings us “Good Friday”, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.  The exact origin of the term “Good” Friday is somewhat unclear, but only in English is the day referred to as “Good.”  On this day, we are reminded of the death of Jesus, and of how that act of a self-giving God brought about a saving grace.  In our Prayer Book for this day, we pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that we all might know your saving embrace.”

Holy Saturday (the day before Easter) brings with it the most powerful service of the church year.  The opening words of our Easter Vigil service begin:  “On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer.”  The great Old Testament stories of salvation history, move us toward the promise of our ultimate story of salvation in the resurrection of Jesus, which happened unnoticed during the night.

Easter Sunday is the culmination of this great week.  Our celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, as recounted by the women who discovered an empty tomb, reminds us of the new life into which all of us have been invited.  It is a celebration of great hope and great joy.

So, there you have it… an overview of Holy Week in just a few words.  Please join us this week for these great gatherings of God’s people as we accompany Jesus through this transformational week in his life, and in ours.