BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORT THE HIGH
H
oly Week is the highlight of the church year when we are led in a very real way through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord with the liturgies of the Triduum. Music Director Richard Clawson emphasizes the importance of Holy Week to us as Catholics, particularly in terms of its significance on our liturgical calendar. The liturgical year is marked by seasons including Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. “For the church year, it builds to Holy Week,” Richard says. “It really is the crown of the liturgical year with Easter being the high point. We need to understand the sacrifice that was made for us to ensure eternal life if we are going to grasp the importance of this week.”
Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday. This liturgy is different because we hear a Gospel reading before the traditional beginning of Mass. We hold palms to represent the branches that the crowd scattered in front of Christ as He rode into Jerusalem, the masses paying Him homage mere days before He was crucified. We then process into the church. “You really feel like we are entering into a different time in the church year with this liturgy,” Richard says. “It is one of those rare times that we break the tradition and ritual of the Mass.” Holy Thursday begins with the Sign of the Cross and is the start of one long liturgy that ends with the Easter Vigil. This is the celebration of the Institution of the Eucharist. During this liturgy, the priest once again takes the form of Christ and washes the feet of parishioners. On Good Friday, the liturgy is a solemn one that looks very different from a typical Mass. There is a silent procession into the church and there is no clear dismissal. This shows how the Triduum liturgies all flow together. It is the one day of the year that the Liturgy of the Eucharist is not celebrated. “We are asked to spend time with Christ Crucified,” Richard says. “We venerate the cross. We are meant to be uncomfortable — we should be uncomfortable.” The tabernacle is left empty until the Easter Vigil when we celebrate the resurrection. The Easter Vigil is the highest liturgy of the entire church year. It is truly an experience that enlightens all of the senses. We hear the extended Liturgy of the Word from Genesis through the resurrection. The bells are rung through the Gloria which we have not heard since Lent began. We smell the fragrant lilies and the incense. The lights are dimmed and
