Holy Week Journey

 

Holy Week Journey:

Holy Week is the holiest and ancient Christian observance of the whole church year.  Let us not be like the people on Palm Sunday who dispersed after our Lord entered in Jerusalem rather let us be faithful followers of Jesus during this most Holy Week of our Lord’s passion. The picture I chose are not crosses which would be most appropriate, but oil lamps like the faithful we read about in Matthew 25.  Let our lamps be lit with oil and follow our Lord during this Holy Week.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday or what is also called with a less familiar title Passion Sunday.  There are two optional readings, either hearing our Lord as He comes into Jerusalem or a reading of our Lord’s passion.  As our Lord reminded His disciples three times about what is about to occur in Jerusalem, we are reminded of our Lord’s purpose on what is about to happen when Passion Sunday is observed.  

So we walk with Jesus to Maundy Thursday.  The word "maundy" comes from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment, as Jesus said in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This is seen at the Last Supper as the disciples washed each others feet.

The service on Maundy Thursday begins in the light as the we celebrate our Lord’s Supper at the Divine Service.  The service comes to a close and the lights begin to go down as the altar is stripped and Psalm 22 is read by the celebrant.  The Good Friday slamming (of the Bible) happened historically not on Good Friday but rather the loud slamming happened at the end of this service indicating what is about to happen to our Lord.

The Good Friday service is done in darkness as we observe the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world at the crucifixion of our Lord.

The Saturday Easter Vigil, the faithful enter the church by candlelight as if the church is the tomb of Jesus in order to see if He is still there.  Candlelight, linanies, readings of God's redeeming activity and prayer lead up to the proclamation that "He is no longer there, He is raisin! He has arisen indeed, alleluia!".  the full lights go on and we sing with a voice of an Easter celebration.  The Easter Sunday Divine Service, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord from the grave!  So we enter and leave the church with the lights on and leave with great joy and gladness!