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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9: 9-10 On the last Sunday in Lent, we remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem recounted in all four Gospels: ”Great crowds of people spread their cloaks in the road, while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading then in his path. The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed were all shouting: ‘Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heavens!” – this is an acclamation that we still use in the Mass today. Palm, or Passion, Sunday marks the start of the most important week in the Church’s year – Holy Week that will end with Jesus giving us the gift of Himself in the Eucharist, being betrayed, dying on the cross and rising to new life on the third day. Because this feast is connected to the Passion of Jesus the liturgical colour is red. The Mass itself takes on a rather different appearance. It begins with the blessing of the palms with holy water and a reading from one of the Gospels telling of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Then, led by the altar servers and clergy the people may process to the church carrying palms and singing hymns and psalms that reflect the triumphal mood of the entry into Jerusalem. At the church, when the procession reaches the sanctuary the penitential rite and Gloria are omitted and Mass continues with the Opening Prayer. The first two readings are those of the day – Isaiah 50: 4-7 and Philippians 2: 6-11 and reflect on Jesus as the suffering servant who emptied Himself of His Divinity to become man, even to accepting death on a cross. There is no Gospel – this was read at the start of the Mass. Instead there is the long reading of the account of the Passion from either Matthew, Mark or Luke (John is read on Good Friday) depending on the year. This is usually done in three voices: one taking the words of Jesus, the second the words of the other characters while the third narrates the scene. During the Passion it is customary to kneel for a moment in silent prayer after the verse recounting the death of the Lord. Incense and candles are not used for the reading of the Passion although everyone stands during it. Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your Son to be born of woman and to die on a cross, so that through the obedience of one man, estrangement might be dissolved for all men. Guide our minds by his truth and strengthen our lives by the example of his death, that we may live in union with you in the kingdom of your promise. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11432b.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/passion.htm |
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Holy Thursday - The Mass of the Lord's Supper.For the tradition I received from the Lord and also handed on to you is that on the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and after he had given thanks, he broke it, and he said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” And in the same way, with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.” Whenever you eat this bread, then, and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11: 23-27 The Thursday of Holy Week marks the beginning of the most sacred part of the Church’s year. Over the coming days, through the various liturgies, we shall be with Jesus in the upper room as he washes the disciples’ feet, gives us Himself under the appearance of bread and wine, is betrayed, tried, scourged and humiliated and finally crucified. But we shall also be with Him when he rises again on the third day. The Mass that evening celebrates the three gifts that Jesus gave to the Church: the priesthood, the Eucharist and a love that is greater than death. The Mass that commemorates the Last Supper is slightly different. Before people arrive, the Blessed Sacrament will have been removed from the tabernacle which now stands open and empty – there is no need to genuflect to it as you come into the church or at the start of the Mass. An ‘Altar of Repose’ will have been set up to where the Blessed Sacrament will be carried at the end of Mass and benches, water and towels for the washing of the feet will have been prepared. The colour of the vestments worn is white. The Mass is also different because it has no end. There is no blessing or dismissal! This is because it is the first act in one single liturgical action that carries on with the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday and concludes with the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Mass begins as usual with the one difference that we do not genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament when we arrive at the sanctuary steps. Simply bow to the altar and go to your allotted place. During the saying or singing of the Gloria the bells are rung. This will be the only time during this Mass. Afterwards they remain silent – even during the Consecration – until the Easter Vigil. After the homily during which the preacher is called upon to develop the meaning of this sacred night, the mystery of the Eucharist, the priesthood, and the Love of Jesus, the One who kneels to serve, the washing of the feet takes place. When he celebrates Mass, the priest stands in the place of Jesus Christ making present in our time what happened at the Last Supper. On this night emphasis is placed on the role of Jesus as One who serves by the priest following Jesus’ example – even the Holy Father will wash feet on this night; “’Do you understand’, he said, ‘what I have dine to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master have washed your feet, you must wash each other’s feet. I have you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’” (John 13: 12-15 – from the Gospel read at the Mass). For this reason, members of the congregation are invited to come up and wash each other’s feet – as a sign of humble service. For the washing of the feet itself the people who are having their feet washed sit on the benches in front of the sanctuary steps and remove their footwear – traditionally from the right foot. The celebrant moves from person to person with a jug of water and a basin, washing the feet of each. Two altar servers are usually required: one with a supply of clean towels, the other to collect the used towels. Once this is over all the paraphernalia is cleared away and the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are invited to come forward and to be re-commissioned for another year. Mass then continues with the Bidding Prayers – the Creed is omitted. Following this and before the altar is prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist the three Sacred Oils that will be used in the Sacraments of the Church throughout the year are brought into the church. These will have been blessed and consecrated by the archbishop at the Chrism Mass earlier in Holy Week. That they are carried in by members of the community and the attention of people is drawn to them is a reminder of the importance of the sacraments in our lives of faith. The Sacred Oils are received by Father Paul at the sanctuary steps and are placed on a prepared table in a place of honour on the sanctuary. Mass continues as normal with the difference, mentioned above, that the bells are not rung at the Consecration or immediately before Holy Communion. After Holy Communion has finished preparations are made for the Transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose. Any remaining hosts – enough should have been Consecrated for Holy Communion on Good Friday – are placed in a ciborium. After the Blessed Sacrament has been incensed a humeral veil is placed around Father Paul’s shoulders. With this he enfolds the Blessed Sacrament and led by the altar servers and any concelebrating clergy he makes his way to the Altar of Repose. The pace of the procession, led by the cross bearer and acolytes, should be slow and reverent. The thurifer walks immediately in front of the Blessed Sacrament. After the procession and when the Blessed Sacrament is secure the altar is stripped without ceremony. Anything that is movable is removed: candles, cushions, altar cloths, furniture, even the water from the font and holy water stoup. The church enters its most bleak phase symbolising that the Lord has been taken away. After Mass it is customary, if you can, to spend some time in silent prayer and meditation before the Altar of Repose recalling the disciples that accompanied Jesus to the garden of Gethsemane. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10068a.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_Thursday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_of_the_Lord%27s_Supper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stripping_of_the_Altar |
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Good Friday - The Solemn Celebration of the Lord's Passion.Who has given credence to what we have heard? And who has seen in it a revelation of Yahweh’s arm? Like a sapling he grew up before him, like a root in arid ground. He had no form or charm to attract us, no beauty to win our hearts; he was despised, the lowest of men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, one from whom, as it were, we averted our gaze, despised, for whom we had no regard. Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrows he was carrying, while we thought of him as someone being punished and struck with affliction by God; whereas he was being wounded for our rebellions, crushed because of our guilt; the punishment reconciling us fell on him, and we have been healed by his bruises. Isaiah 53: 1-5 Why is Good Friday called “good” when it commemorates the blackest event in humanity’s history, the death of the Son of God? It is because on that day death itself died. One man died in obedience to His Father’s wish, that we all may live in accordance with His Father’s desire. During this day the Church is at its bleakest – it is the one day in the calendar when no Mass is celebrated, in accordance with an ancient tradition no sacraments are celebrated and, outside of the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, Holy Communion may only be given as viaticum to those close to death. The Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion usually takes place at three o’clock in the afternoon to correspond with the hour when the Gospels record that Jesus died – at the “ninth hour” (see Matthew chapter 27, Mark chapter 15, Luke chapter 23). This is not a separate liturgical action – it has no introductory rite – but a continuation of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper from the previous evening. It begins in complete silence with the altar bare. When the entrance procession reaches the sanctuary steps all bow to the altar, the clergy taking part prostrate themselves or kneel. Everyone else kneels in silence for a moment. Following the Opening Prayer the Solemn Celebration continues with the Liturgy of the Word. The first is one of the Suffering Servant Songs from the prophet Isaiah (52: 13-53: 12) while the second, from the Letter to the Hebrews (4: 14-16, 5: 7-9) speaks of redemption through the suffering of Jesus. These are followed by the reading of the account of the Lord’s Passion from St. John’s Gospel. As on Palm Sunday, this is done by three people: one taking the words of Jesus, one the other speakers and one narrating. It is customary to kneel for a moment in silence when the verse mentioning the death of Jesus is reached. This is followed by the homily and by the General Intercessions. These are ten set prayers for the Church and for the world:
This is followed by unveiling and the Veneration of the Cross – it has been shrouded in purple for the last two weeks. The unveiling can be done in one of two ways: either a veiled cross already set up on the sanctuary is gradually unveiled or, as is our custom, an already unveiled cross is carried through the church by a priest or deacon and accompanied by two altar servers carrying candles. Whichever method is used, the unveiling is done in three stages. At each the invitation is issued, “This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the Saviour of the world”, to which all present kneel and respond, “Come, let us worship.” The Veneration of the Cross takes the form of each person approaching the cross, genuflecting before it and kissing the feet of the ‘corpus’, the figure of Christ. If they do this, it is incorrect. It is the cross itself that is being venerated, not the representation of Christ upon it - it is the cross that they should kiss. Two older servers are usually required to support the cross, to lift it for people who are too old or frail or otherwise unable to bend down to venerate, and using purificators to wipe the feet of the figure after each person. When everyone has Venerated the Cross it along with the candles that accompanied it during the unveiling, are placed in a stand on the altar and the altar is prepared for Holy Communion. Preparation consists of the unfolding of a cloth on the altar, a corporal and the placing of the open missal on it. Meanwhile, the priest or deacon, accompanied by two altar servers have, gone to the Place of Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament. There is no Act of Consecration during the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. The Blessed Sacrament that is now brought to the altar is that which was consecrated at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Following Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament is returned to the Place of Reposition and the post Communion prayers all process out in silence genuflecting to the unveiled cross. As there was no introductory rite, so there is no concluding rite to the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. It forms one continuous liturgical action beginning with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and ending with the Easter Vigil. Afterwards complete silence should be observed and everything should be removed from the altar so that it is again bare. On the evening of Good Friday it is customary to have an extended Stations of the Cross or other devotion recalling the Passion. Good Friday, along with Ash Wednesday, is a day of fasting and abstinence for those who qualify. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/passion.htm https://www.christianiconography.info/carryCross.html https://www.christianiconography.info/crucifixion.html https://www.christianiconography.info/deathJesus.html https://www.christianiconography.info/deposition.html https://www.christianiconography.info/lamentation.html https://www.christianiconography.info/entombmentManOfSorrows.html |
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Holy Saturday - The Vigil of Vigils
But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, “There is no need for you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for hr has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee; that is where you will see him.” Look! I have told you.” Saturday was the only day of the week when Our Blessed Lady was without her beloved Son. This is why on Saturday, when no other feast is being celebrated, an Optional Memorial Mass of Our Lady on Saturday can be celebrated. Holy Saturday – note, not “Easter Saturday” - shares much in character with Good Friday. Apart from frenzied preparations for the Vigil the church is cold and bare, continuing the ancient tradition no sacraments are celebrated, if possible the Paschal fast is continued until the Vigil itself and again Holy Communion may only given as viaticum to those approaching death. Apart from the Easter Vigil, Mass is never celebrated on Holy Saturday. The Lord lies in the tomb. The Church waits for the dawn of the third day. There is only one liturgical action on Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil – but, properly celebrated, it is the most beautiful, inspiring and moving ceremony in the Church’s year – as befits the Vigil of vigils celebrated “ ... on this most holy night, when our Lord Jesus Christ passed from death to life, the Church invites her children throughout the world to come together in vigil and prayer.” (Opening prayer of the Vigil). The Easter Vigil must always begin after dark on Holy Saturday and must end by dawn on Easter Sunday morning. The Vigil begins with the church in complete darkness and all who can assembled outside around the Easter Fire. This is blessed and the Paschal Candle that has been carried from the church is prepared and lit from the fire – Christ is risen! It is then carried into the darkened church stopping three times, as the cross did on Good Friday. At each stopping place the priest or deacon carrying the candle proclaims that Christ is our light “Lumen Christi”, to which all respond, “Thanks be to God” – “Deo Gratias”. After the second stopping people begin to light the candles that they have been holding from the Paschal Candle, passing the flame from person to person so that it becomes one light, divided but undimmed. When the Paschal Candle reaches the sanctuary it is placed in its stand and is honoured with incense. The Easter Proclamation or Exsultet is then said or sung. This is a long hymn that reminds those present of the importance of what we celebrate on that night – the Vigil of vigils when we literally share in the bodily resurrection of Jesus: “This is our Passover feast, when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain, whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers. This is the night when you first saved our fathers: you freed the people of Israel from their slavery and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave. The second part of the Easter Vigil is the Liturgy of the Word – a sequence of seven readings from the Old Testament telling the story of humanity's fall from grace and redemption, with psalms and prayers. The sequence of readings concludes with a reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans and the appropriate Gospel for the year. The readings used are as follows: · Genesis 1: 1-2: 2 · Genesis 22: 1-18 · Exodus 14: 15-15: 1 · Isaiah 54: 5-14 · Isaiah 55: 1-11 · Baruch 3: 9-15, 32-4: 4 · Ezekiel 36: 16-17a, 18-28 · Romans 6: 3-11 · Matthew 28: 1-10, or Mark 16: 1-7, or Luke 24: 1-12 The purpose of the readings is, as the prayer that comes before them urges us: “Let us now listen attentively to the word of God, recalling how he saved his people throughout history and, in the fullness of time, sent his own Son to be our Redeemer.” After the final reading from the Old Testament, from the prophet Ezekiel, the Gloria is sung and the bells in the church are rung. The reading from the Gospel is followed by the homily.
The third part of the Easter Vigil is the Liturgy of Baptism and the focus of action switches from the ambo to the font which has been refilled. The Paschal Candle is taken from its stand and brought to the font. The Litany of the Saints is said or sung. The priest says the prayer of blessing part of which reflects on the ways in which water has featured in the history of humanity’s salvation:
In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptised by John and anointed with the Spirit. The end of the Paschal Candle is then dipped into the water three times while the priest asks for God’s blessing: “We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life.” This is followed by the renewal of baptismal promises during which all present are invited to reject sin and to profess their faith. Following this, as a reminder of their own baptism, people are invited to come to the font, to the newly blessed water, and to bless themselves with it by making the sign of the cross. The fourth and final part of the Easter Vigil is the Liturgy of the Eucharist which, apart from special prayers for the night, is identical to the Liturgy of the Eucharist at a Sunday Mass. At the end of the Easter Vigil the people are dismissed with a double “Alleluia” – the Easter Vigil is the first time that the word will have been used in any of the Church’s liturgies since before the start of Lent. See also: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07424a.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Saturday https://www.christianiconography.info/entombmentManOfSorrows.html https://www.christianiconography.info/harrowing.html |