HOLY WEEK

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on March 29th when we commemorate Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and on Holy Wednesday, we remember the Betrayal by Judas Iscariot, who made a bargain with the high priest to deceive Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

The Paschal Triduum

The most sacred days of Holy Week, and of the entirety of the Catholic faith, are in the Paschal Triduum (three days), beginning with Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday. On this night, Jesus gathered with His disciples to celebrate the  Passover Meal, now known in Catholicism as the Last Supper. At this supper, Jesus broke bread and gave it to His disciples saying “Take this and eat of it, this is my body.” He then took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them and said “All of you must drink from this, for this is my blood, the new covenant, to be poured out on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26)

Good Friday

The second day of the Paschal Triduum is Good Friday. We recall Christ’s torturous death which He suffered out of love for us, that our sins might be forgiven in the eyes of God.

Following Judas’ betrayal, Jesus was arrested, charged with blasphemy, though He was the son of God, and sentenced to death. He was beaten, ridiculed, spat on, stripped, mocked, scourged with a Roman flagrum that was multi-thronged and spiked, crowned with thorns, and whipped about the head with a reed. Following His vicious scourging, Jesus was forced to carry a heavy wooden cross 600 meters while bleeding profusely. He was violently stretched out and nailed to this cross by His hands and feet, and left hanging between two thieves until He died.