In the Christian Church, Holy Week is the week just before Easter. It is the last week of Lent and includes Palm Sunday (just celebrated), Spy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It does not include Easter Sunday, however.
The earliest reference to Holy Week as a whole with special observances can be found in the Apostolic Constitutions of the latter half of the Third Century and beginning of the Fourth Century. In this text can be found references to abstaining from meat all the days of this week and absolute fast (eating nothing) on Friday and Saturday.
The most special day of this week and the earliest to achieve prominence was Good Friday, followed closely by Holy Saturday (the “Great Sabbath") with its Vigil Service, which in the Early Church was associated with an expectation that the Second Coming would occur on an Easter Sunday.
Today, the Christian Churches of the West practically observe the same liturgies for Holy Week. These include Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians as well as Catholic Churches of the Latin Rite.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday) commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, one of the few events described in all Four Gospels. It is customary to bless palm leaves or olive branches followed by a procession or solemn entrance into the church with the cross leading the congregation carrying palms. This ritual memorializes Jesus’ entrance into the Holy City as he begins His journey to His crucifixion.
The days between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday are known as Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Spy Wednesday. The Gospel accounts are not always clear or in agreement on the events which occurred on these days, though there are traditional observances held by some denominations to commemorate certain events from the last days of Jesus' life.
On Monday, some observe the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, an event that in the Gospel of John occurred before Palm Sunday.
On Tuesday, some observe Jesus' predictions of his own death.
On Wednesday, some observe the story of Judas arranging his betrayal of Jesus with the high priests, For this reason, the day is sometimes called Spy Wednesday.
In whatever way possible, we are invited to make the days of this week an extraordinary time for remember God’s Mercy for sinful humanity. As we call to mind our sins and ask the Lord Jesus to be gentle and generous in His Forgiveness, let us be especially mindful of the opportunity and invitation the Lord extends to us to be forgiving of one another.
Let us be thankful that Almighty God has chosen to be Divinely Just in demanding reparation for man’s sinfulness, the price of which was the very life of His Only Begotten Son. And let us be eternally grateful that Our Heavenly Father has likewise chosen to be Divinely Merciful in forgiving us our sins.
May the days of this Holy Week 2017 be truly a time of conversion in the lives of each and every one of us.
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