The Spirit of HOLY WEEK: Its Tradition
and Spiritual Imports
PIUSRALPH EFFIONG,
SMMM
Introduction
The last three days
of the forty days spiritual journey with the Lord through fasting, prayer and
almsgiving usually launch us into the solemn atmosphere of recalling the events
surrounding the salvific mystery of humanity. Right from antiquity, these days
were designated as “Holy” and were set-aside for the commemoration of the
paschal mystery of our Lord which reached its apogee with the service of Easter vigil on Holy Saturday. It is
often the long awaited moment in the spiritual life of the Church. The week
reflects the tender and humble nature of our Lord and Redeemer. It always comes
with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy; sorrow in the sense that we recalled the
sorrowful passion of our Lord, watching him dying slowly in pains and agony for
the atonement of our sins. On the other hand, we experience an aura of joy and
relief as our iniquities have been expiated. The celebration of Holy week
begins with Passion (Palm) Sunday of the Lord, commemorating the entrance of
Christ the Lord into Jerusalem to accomplish His paschal mystery. In the light of this celebration of memorial
of our redemption, that the Church invites us to tune-in with the spirit of
this season, reflecting soberly over the agony that Christ - our Redeemer went
through to salvage us from the web and shackle of sins and total damnation.
It
is therefore on account of this that we are going to take a cursory look into
the tradition and the spiritual significance of this solemn week as well as the
Church’s teaching with regards to the liturgical celebration of this season.
Historical
Evolution
“Holy
Week” according to the New Catholic Encyclopedia is referred to as ‘major’ or
‘greater’ week, because great deeds were done by God
during this week.
Among the Germans it is called Karwoche
(meaning: sorrowful or mourning week). In earlier century the week was
designated as ‘passion week’ since in Christian antiquity the notion of Passion
always included the resurrection. Also the Milanese rite refer to it as
‘authentic week,’ which is allusion to the events celebrated during these
days. Because public sinners were
absolved of their sins on Holy Thursday. Amidst these variations there were
other names given to this week namely: the week of remission, painful week,
week of salvation, et cetera.
However, the first recorded reference to the Holy Week is in
St. Athanasius’ Festal letters of announcing the date of Easter. The letter
further stated that the original nucleus of Holy Week was the annual celebration
of the Paschal Feast, which was then a 3-day (triduum) commemoration beginning on Friday and ending on the
morning of Easter Sunday. The service of Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday was
added by at least the 4th century. The entire week was rounded out
at some time in the 5th and 6th century. Many of the Holy
Week observances as we have today came originally from Jerusalem and spread
through the West. In 1955 Pope Pius XII
officially restored Holy Week to the prominence it had in ancient and medieval
times in the decree Maxima Redemptoris published on November 16, 1955. In
effect, the restoration of the liturgy of the Holy Week gave it a status of
centrality in the heart of the Church’s liturgical year. . (cf. O’shea W. J., “Holy Week”, New Catholic Encyclopedia, Palatine: Jack Heraty & Associates,
Inc. 1981, p. 107).
The
Church Directives on the Celebration of the Holy Week
“Paschal Triduum’’ or “Triduum” of the
Passion and Resurrection of our Lord is the summit of the Church’s liturgical
year. During this solemn period of Triduum, the Mother Church all over the
world commemorates the most important events in the life of our Lord, which is
the foundation of the salvation history of humankind. In the light of this
moment in the Church, each
celebration of the Paschal Triduum contains its
particular characteristics. It all begins with service of Palm or Passion
Sunday, which launch us into the Easter Triduum proper. Passion Sunday make present the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem
to begin his final week and initiate his Passion. All four Gospels recount this
triumphant entry that Sunday Morning. This followed by Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday of the Holy Week. But our concern here is a circumspective look into
the Triduum proper which begins in strict sense with the Mass of the Holy (Maundy)
Thursday which commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. In the early
hours of this same day, except for pastoral reason(s), the bishop blesses the
Chrism oils at the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral: for the anointing of the sick;
the oil of catechumens for those preparing for baptism, confirmation and
ordination. They are used in celebrating the sacraments during the year; and
then the Mass of the Last Supper later in the evening. The major features at
the Mass of the Last Supper are: washing of the feet, procession to the Altar
of repose and adoration until midnight with prayer remembering the Lord Jesus,
whose agony, death and resurrection saves us.
On Good
Friday, as the name implies, it is good for on this day that God did wonderful
things for human race. A day which His only begotten son accepted death on the
cross for the salvation of humanity. It is a day of fasting and abstinence as
stipulated by the Church’s law. Following the tradition of the Church, on this
day Holy Mass is not celebrated, and in the later part of the day a service of
the Passion of the Lord is celebrated by 3:00 p.m. This is followed by the
liturgy of the word, veneration of the Cross and reception of the Holy
Communion. The day ends with
a solemn silence till the evening of the following day – Holy Saturday.
On this day there is to be only one
celebration in each church. Here the
faithful gather to celebrate the Easter vigil at dusk, the vigil of all vigils.
We all gather in darkness and light the Easter fire which reminds us that Jesus
is the light of the world. We enter into the church and attentively listen to events
describing God’s saving work of the past and his salvific plan for the humanity
in the scripture. Suddenly, the church lights are lit and the Gloria is sung accompanied with the
Church bell, as well as decoration of the Altar as we celebrate the moment of
Christ’s resurrection. As a Church we sing ‘Alleluia’ for the first time in
forty days. In the joy of the resurrection we then celebrate the Sacraments of
Baptism, our Catechumens who have prepared for many weeks for this night; and
renewal of the baptismal vows for those who have already had baptism. At this
moment we all become the “Easter People with Alleluia on our lips.” Notably, it
is in this solemn Paschal vigil that we relive the glorious event of the Resurrection
of our Redeemer. Due
to the importance of this event, the Holy See insist on the active
participation of the people in the Holy Week rites so that the whole church is
drawn closer to the celebration.
The
Spiritual Significance of the Celebration
The significance of this great
salvific event is summarized in the ancient homily of Melito of Sardis on the
Pasch. In his homily he avers: “He is the Passover of our salvation. He was
present so as to endure many things. In Abel he was slain; in Isaac bound; in
Jacob a stranger; in Joseph sold; in David persecuted; in the prophets
dishonoured.”(cf. A Reading from the Homily of Melito of Sardis on the Pasch
Nn. 65-71, The Divine Office, Vol. II
Lent and Easter, p.284). In the light of this allusion made by Melito we have
seen vividly that Christ has cut across all ages. He suffered all things for us
to be free. Christ’s Resurrection was “miracle of miracles” as Bishop Anthony
Gogo Nwedo observed. In his word he says: “The Resurrection of Christ was an
incontrovertible historical event, a definite triumph over the Devil and death,
the cause and model of our own resurrection.” (Nwedo, A. G., Preparation for
Resurrection, Lenten Pastoral, 1980,
p. 20).
Having gone through
thick and thin of genesis of this great festival of our salvation, it is
therefore of great importance to elucidate the spiritual imports this ancient
event; but with new and deeper meaning it has for us as Christ’s witnesses.
Over two thousand years ago, sprout from the tribe of David came a child whose
birth, life and death surrounded with mysteries beyond man. His coming was
foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament account. According to a renowned
Jewish Rabbi-Physician Moses Miamonides, the expectation of the arrival of the
Messiah forms part of the twelfth article of faith for the Jews which says - “I firmly believe in the coming of the
Messiah and even if he comes late, I wait every day for his arrival.” For them the expected Messiah would have
political aspiration and mission favourable to them. Not one who dine and wine
with sinners (Lk 19:70); touches lepers (Lk 5:12-16); not one who saves others
but cannot save himself (Lk 23:35) like Jesus. Their expectation was untimely put
to death with the coming of a Messiah whose life was shrouded with mystery
beyond humanity. One whose greatness consists on his immeasurable
meekness and humility towards all but especially the ‘anawims’ of the society,
that is the retarded and the abandoned; those who needed to be regarded and
treated as ‘sons of Abraham’ and ‘sons of God’ – the orphans, the widows, the
down trodden, the accused, etc. the one who above all conquered death in a
unique way, through the way of the cross and through His glorious resurrection
to life. (cf. Okoronkwo C., Lecture Notes on Fundamental Scripture,
unpublished, p. 35)
Among the Christians,
this same Jesus is seen as one with the Father (Jn 10:30) and who is the
‘Anointed’ of the Holy Spirit (Lk 4:8), the redeemer and comforter of the
afflicted. It is this same man that Simeon cried out at his presentation as the
fulfillment of God’s promise, which made himself manifest as the light to the
Gentiles (Lk 2:29 ff.).
With the Resurrection of our Lord, He has
left the tomb and now dwells in our heart. We are no longer lost in our
iniquities the precious blood shed on the wood of the cross has purged us.
Christ has fulfilled his mission among us, the Holy Week liturgy which
culminated with service of the Easter vigil points to the unfathomable love of
God on humanity without reservation. Now that we are the Easter people, let us
live as such bearing witness and become touch bearers to all nations
proclaiming the Resurrected Christ. This therefore calls for genuine display of
our faith, in words and action. Since Holy Week means accompanying Christ on
His final journey, bearing our own crosses.
Conclusion
The joy of Easter cannot be
over emphasized; the pictorial presentation of Jesus as the man wrapped in
grief, nailed to that barren wood and suffered bitter pains has given to the
entire human race a sure hope of salvation. With His death the tree of life is
made with the branches of unfailing yield. Indeed by His resurrection the chain
of slavery has been broken, the gate of comfort let loosed, man regained his
rightful position after the fall of the first Adam. This salvific event called
us to a deeper attitude of great joy and hope as Easter people. With joy and
hope in the risen Lord, we encounter a different perception of our daily
troubles, hardships and sufferings we experience in our daily journey of life.
It is with the spirit of this unique festival and undoubtable faith in Him,
whom we live, move and have our being that we will be at peace and experience
serenity because of the Risen Lord.
Finally, Easter is the primary
act that fulfills the purpose of Christ's ministry on earth, which include: to
defeat death by dying on the cross and to purify and exalt humanity from the
dungeon of sin and give hope for everlasting life beyond this mortal life that
will one day whiter off. As we will
patiently wait with great anticipation of the paraclete in the next fifty days,
let us be mindful of the fact that; Christ’s passion, death and resurrection
has purchased for us a life devoid of pains and the present challenging
situation we face in this present life. And as Easter people may Alleluia
continue to be on our lips as we patiently carrying our daily cross of life
through Christ our Lord, Amen.
