Celebrating Holy Week

Holy Week is quickly approaching, and many of the students and their families in our Catholic schools in Orlando are curious about the important traditions and history related with each of the days within this spiritual week in the Catholic faith. The information below will enlighten the Diocese of Orlando’s parishioners and help them celebrate Holy Week – which begins April 9, 2017 – with much more understanding.Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus ate the Passover feast with his disciples and proclaimed he would die and rise again in three days. He explained the importance of spreading his teaching by instituting priesthood upon them and explained that with his blessing upon the bread and wine they were about to eat and drink, they would be nourished by his body and blood. It was also at this Passover meal that Jesus proclaimed he would be betrayed by a disciple. From these beginnings, Holy Thursday is revered as the most profound Catholic religious observance except for the Easter Vigil.In recognition of Jesus’ body becoming the Eucharist, we partake in Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is displayed, and the faithful remain in prayer and thanksgiving in the presence of the Eucharist to commemorate the disciples keeping vigil with Jesus Christ.Jesus further instructed his disciples to treat all humanity with dignity, assuring them the “least would be greatest.” To make his point, he washed the feet of his disciples, using water to prove several points: the symbolic baptism with water, cleansing with water, and humility of service. This cleansing of the disciples’ feet is known as the Mandatum, which is why Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday. After Mass is celebrated and Adoration concludes, the Host is removed from view. No Mass is celebrated until Easter Vigil since Jesus’ body can no longer be physically present; he was crucified and did not rise again until Easter Vigil, when Mass resumes.Good FridayOn Good Friday, Catholics remember Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, Catholics kneel before the crucifix and kiss Jesus’ feet to pay homage to His ultimate sacrifice for our salvation. The Passion is read to make us realize that the crowds (and, by our sinfulness, we as a modern crowd) were complicit in Jesus’ crucifixion.Catholic schools in the Diocese of Orlando are closed Good Friday to give children the opportunity to participate in Good Friday observances with their families. Stations of the Cross are presented to accompany Mass. Many churches observe the three hours Christ suffered on the cross with prayer services. Families unable to attend this service observe a period of silence, devotional reading, and prayer from 12:00 – 3:00pm.Holy Saturday Holy Saturday is the Easter vigil liturgy marking the beginning of Easter. The Easter vigil is divided into the Service of Light (marking our vigilance to have ample oil in our lamps to light the way of our Lord), Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of Baptism, and Liturgy of the Eucharist.The Service of Light brings in a lightened mood for the church. The Tabernacle is opened, a new Easter candle is lit, and Holy Water enters the fonts once more. As the Easter candle is lit outside the church, the entire congregation follows in behind the lit candle. The Liturgy that follows contains up to nine readings: seven from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. The Liturgy of Baptism includes initiating new members through the rites of baptism as all parishioners renew their baptismal promises. The Liturgy of the Eucharist contains prayers specific to Easter before Mass ends with an Easter alleluia.Enjoying the celebration of Christ’s rebirth is more pleasurable when you understand the reasons for each day of Holy Week. Have your family join its church family in these celebrations along with traditional spring carnivals and Easter egg hunts. The Diocese of Orlando has a schedule of Mass times for each day of Holy Week. Contact your local church and ask about Mass times. For information pertaining to Catholic schools in Orlando, call the Diocese at 407-246-4903 and read our blog page.