Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the day in the liturgical calendar commemorating the Passion and Death of Christ on the Cross.

It's not a holy day of obligation, but a day of fasting and abstinence, and the faithful are encouraged to attend liturgy.  No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday, but more of a memorial service during which an account of the Passion is read.

I always have mixed feelings when Good Friday arrives.  There is one part of me that is sad at the crucifixion of Christ, knowing how he was treated in spite of all the good he did during his ministry.  He did nothing wrong, and was persecuted for it.  It calls to mind people all over the world who, even today, are imprisoned and killed because of their faith.

On the other hand, part of me is thankful and joyous because of the sacrifice Christ made willingly for people.  I know many people think of Christ's prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he asks his Father to "let this cup pass."  But immediately after that, he says, "yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39, NASB). [emphasis added]  He trusted the path his Father had set down for him, and was willing to follow that path because he knew the Lord was making a decision out of true love that was best.

I encourage you to read the reflection on Good Friday posted by Modern Catholic Mom.  In it, she compares the denial of Christ by Judas with the denial of Christ by Peter, and ties it nicely in with Christ's infinite forgiveness.  No offense, but there aren't many people I know that would welcome someone back lovingly if that person denied them the way Peter denied Christ.  And yet, even though Peter denied Christ, the Church was built on him.

I hope you all have a wonderful day and weekend, no matter how you celebrate the holiday!

Holy Thursday

Today is the first day of Easter weekend.  Yes, it's only Thursday and usually weekends begin on Friday, but today is Holy Thursday, which is the first day leading up to Easter Sunday.

Until I converted to Catholicism, I didn't know anything about Holy Thursday, much less celebrate it.

Here's what Scott P. Richert says about this day:

Holy Thursday is the day that Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples, four days after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Christ's Crucifixion on Good Friday.

This feast, however, is more than just the lead-in to Good Friday; it is, in fact, the oldest of the celebrations of Holy Week. And with good reason: Holy Thursday is the day that Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and the Mass. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Do this in remembrance of Me," He instituted the Mass and made them the first priests.

Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed, Christ said to His disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The Latin word for "commandment," mandatum became the source for another name for Holy Thursday: Maundy Thursday.

On Holy Thursday, the priests of each diocese gather with their bishop to consecrate holy oils, which are used throughout the year for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. This ancient practice, which goes back to the fifth century, is known as the Chrism Mass ("chrism" is a mixture of oil and balsam used for the holy oils) and stresses the role of the bishop as a successor to the apostles.

Except in very rare circumstances, there is only one Mass other than the Chrism Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday in each church: the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which is celebrated after sundown. It commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

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Holy Week

Yesterday, Palm Sunday, marked the beginning of Holy Week, which is the week leading up to Easter Sunday.

It's a solemn time for Christians; our minds are on the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross before we can celebrate His resurrection.

Here's a very brief explanation of the days of Holy Week.

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Christ's entry into Jerusalem on an ass.  In the Biblical story, people who witnessed the entry spread palm branches on the road to make the path soft for Christ as he rode.  That's why at Palm Sunday Mass, blessed palm branches are distributed.  Many people tie them into crosses (as my mother-in-law does).  Last year and this year, I picked up a few extra after Mass and made a St. Brigid's Cross with them.

Holy Thursday is remembered as the day of the Last Supper with the disciples.  Only hours later, Jesus was betrayed by Judas.  This day commemorates Holy Communion, and usually ends with the emptying of the tabernacle in the main part of the church.  The consecrated host that's moved to another place overnight is distributed on Good Friday.  After the service, the altar is stripped, and any bells that are normally used are kept silent until Easter Vigil.

Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence, commemorates the Passion and death of Jesus.  A full Mass is not celebrated.  Instead, it's more of a memorial service that includes a reading of the Passion of the Lord, prayers are offered, and Holy Communion is distributed.

Holy Saturday commemorates the day Christ laid in the tomb after the Crucifixion.  On this day, Holy Communion is only given to the dying, Masses are forbidden, and the altar remains stripped.

Easter Sunday is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ from the dead.  Where Lent has been a somber time for reflection and introspection, Easter is a celebration.  Usually, the music is joyous, the faithful can once again say and sing "Alleluia," and we celebrate the great gift Christ gave us by His Sacrifice.  And afterward, we all go home to have delicious food and let our children gorge themselves on the chocolate they've probably been denied for their Lenten sacrifices.

This is a serious time for Christians.  As we look ahead to Good Friday and Holy Saturday, we can't help but think of the pain Christ went through for our sake.  But that pain culminates with a great gift, and one that is celebrated joyously.

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