The tradition of marking the week before Easter (Holy Week) as a special time of reflection and devotion in the Church dates back to the 3rd or 4th century. It was a time where special attention was given to prayer, fasting and worship. The week comes to a climax with the celebration of the Triduum or "three days" which recall the institution of the Eucharist (Holy Thursday), death of Christ (Good Friday) and the passage from death to life (Holy Saturday). Easter Sunday, then marks the first day of the new season and is celebrated for 50 days.
The spiritual benefit of observing Holy Week is the lesson that new beginnings come from endings. And so as we prepare our hearts and minds throughout this week I invite you to truly experience the mystery of this week. Holy Week, and in particular the Triduum, are a time to leave our intellectual thinking mind at the door and enter into the experience of life from death.
As we mark the final days of Jesus' earthly life see within this story your own journey of faith. What have you suffered? What are your pains? What is your way of the cross? Take some time to create your own "way of the cross'" through reflection on one of the Gospel Passion narratives. See within your own way of the cross the unity it holds with the way of Jesus' cross. Understand that all our earthly experiences are united with the way of Jesus and that as God brought about a new beginning in the resurrection, so too God will bring a new beginning out of our experiences of death - real or metaphorical.
May the peace and holiness of this week prepare our hearts to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection!
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