Holy Week, what a week!

The high point of the year

Father David Jones

Church Calendar

Just as the Eucharist is the high point of liturgy, Holy Week is the high point of the year. Holy Week considers what the church will need to make it for another year.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, Holy Week tells us that it, all the activity of the church, the mission of the church, requires an act of God. We cannot do this work without God and only what we do for Christ will last and therefore matters. The work is predicated on the Passion of the Lord. This is our foundation.

The Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday during the day or for pastoral reasons on a different day in Holy Week. At this Mass, oils are blessed and made holy by the Bishop at the Cathedral. These Holy Oils are then given to parishes, missions, hospitals, etc. in order to strengthen people so we can live out our baptism, fight our battles, be encouraged and sealed with the Holy Spirit no matter come what may. We have, keep and strengthen the faith that will see us through in good times, hard times, bad times at any time and in all times.

On Holy Thursday we are given the Eucharist at the Last Supper. So that we can truly have Sunday and church at least once a week. We are given the priesthood for the same reason.

The Head of the Church, Jesus takes Good Friday all by himself. We do nothing. We don’t know anything to do. The Lord is crucified. All we can do is pray for everybody.

Come Sunday, starting at the end of Saturday, we are given new fire, Holy Light, new water, Holy Water and new life, Holy People freshly baptized.

We now have everything we need to do the work of the Lord: God, faith, preparation, instruction, mission, order, leaders, provisions and sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus.