Holy Week is the week preceding Easter and the final week of Lent. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Holy Week includes Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, which, together with Holy Saturday, are known as the Triduum. Before the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, Holy Week was the second week of Passiontide; in the current calendar, Passiontide is synonymous with Holy Week.
During Holy Week, Christians commemorate the Passion of Christ, Who died on Good Friday in reparation for the sins of mankind, and rose on Easter Sunday to give new life to all who believe. Thus, while Holy Week is solemn and sorrowful, it also anticipates the joy of Easter through the recognition of God's goodness in sending His Son to die for our salvation.
Join Rev. Marlene for The Triduum. These three services are really one event, stretched over three days. As a sign of our unity you might consider using the resources below for prayer on each of the three nights or join us on Zoom at the designated times.
Below are some links to resources to help you journey through Holy Week
Holy Week and Easter At Home Resurrection Egg Instructions
Booklet
Holy Week and Easter Coloring
Triduum-Holy Week Service Pages
Bulletin
Legend of the Pretzel
Trappist Monk Bread Recipe
Marking a Year of Covid-19
Holy Week In a Box Coloring Pages
The Sunday of the Passion
March 28, 2021
10:00am
Palm Sunday Service with the Passion Play and Spiritual Communion
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week (the final week of Lent) and honors Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem as depicted in the Gospels. As Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, crowds gathered in the streets laying coats in his path, thus treating Jesus like royalty. They also laid palm branches, an ancient symbol of victory and peace, in the road. They shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna" is an expression of praise and joy. Palm Sunday is often celebrated by Christians today with processions in churches and in streets which include the waving of palms, singing, and shouts of "Hosanna!" Though it is the beginning of a somber week, Palm Sunday is a day of celebration.
SUNDAY SERVICE LINK
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 1st, 2021
7:00pm
Maundy Thursday At Home on Zoom
with Agape Meal Hand/Foot washing and Stripping of the Table/Altar
The three holy days at the center of the Christian faith are commemorated with a series of worship services known as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Together they are called the Triduum, and each day tells a part of the story that leads to Easter Morning; each offers us an intimate and significant encounter with Jesus.
Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is the night of The Last Supper, the meal Jesus shared with his friends before he died. For Christians, it is one of the most sacred nights of the year. Maundy is from the Latin word for "command," referring to Jesus' commandment to "Love one another." Jesus demonstrated what it means to love and serve one another by the humble act of washing his disciples' feet. This is also the night Jesus shared bread and wine with his friends, asking them to "Do this in remembrance of me" after his death. Shortly thereafter, Jesus was betrayed and arrested.
Holy Week Zoom Link
Friday April 2nd, 2021
Noon & 8pm: Stations of the Cross on Zoom
On Good Friday we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The calendar date of Good Friday varies from year to year, along with Lent and Easter, but it is always the Friday before Easter. It is a somber day of silence and prayer and is the only day of the church year we do not celebrate the Eucharist. The origin of the name "Good" Friday is unknown. Some believe it comes from an older name, "God's Friday." Good Friday was called "Long Friday" by the Anglo-Saxons, and is called "Holy Friday" in some places. The portion of the Gospel of John known as The Passion (John 18-19) is often read on Good Friday. As we read, it is critical to understand that these texts were written in a particular context, to acknowledge that they have been wrongly used to perpetrate anti-semitism and violence against Jewish people, and to remember it was the Roman Empire who killed Jesus. Crucifixion was a common form of public execution at the time. It is believed Jesus' crucifixion took place just outside Jerusalem, in Calvary, also called Golgotha.
Holy Week Zoom Link
Holy Saturday Quiet Day
Saturday April 3rd, 2021
Jesus says, “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Matthew 11:28-29
In the midst of our busy lives we have little time for silence. Find your own space to honor God. The Easter Saturday Quiet Day is an opportunity to give God back some of our time, and to think on the holiness and absolute power of God, into whose presence we should come with humility and reverence. "Be still, and know that I am God." Begin your day with Morning Prayer. Take some time for spiritual retreat. Take a step back from your busy life, deepen your practice of centering in prayer, and gain a new perspective on your spiritual life. Take some time to read the Scriptures; have time to walk alone and enjoy God’s beautiful Gifts. Use this Quiet day to pray, journal, meditate, and enjoy the beauty around us.
Saturday April 3rd, 2021
7:30pm on Zoom
The Great Vigil of Easter follows the ancient practice of celebrating the Easter Feast at sunset on Easter Eve. The Easter Vigil begins in darkness, recalling the darkness before Creation and the darkness of the tomb. The liturgy consists of four parts: The Light (kindling of new fire and lighting the Paschal candle to represent the dawning of Creation and the new light of Easter Morning); The Lessons (key readings and psalms from Scripture); Baptism or the Renewal of Baptism (committing or recommitting to our life with Christ); and the Holy Eucharist. In some traditions, the Vigil readings are offered with drama or humor, sometimes with costumes and props. The Easter Vigil is a time of remembering, re-telling, and living into the fullness of our relationship with and experiences of God from the beginning of time through the present.
Holy Week Zoom Link
April 4, 2021
10:00am
Festal Easter Service
Accounts of the first Easter are found in all four Gospels (Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, Luke 24:1–49, John 20:1–23). Each account differs, sometimes slightly and sometimes significantly. Regardless of the differences in detail, the hope of Jesus' resurrection after his crucifixion is at the heart of Christian belief and Easter Sunday is the principal celebration of the resurrection. The hope and promise of new life is welcomed with bells, flowers, and joyful shouts of “Alleluia, Christ is Risen!” to which one responds, "The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!" Easter Sunday begins the joyful season of Easter, which includes Easter Sunday and the “Great 50 Days” that follow. The Easter story reminds us over and over again that our God makes all things new. Over and over again, we are invited to be surprised by Love.
SUNDAY SERVICE ZOOM LINK
St. Philip's Episcopal Church 2900 Hanes Ave. Richmond, VA 23222 804-321-1266