Holy Week
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Holy week - extending from Passion Sunday to Easter Sunday is celebrated each year as the greatest week in the Church's of praise. It is much more than a historical re-enactment of past events, more than a passion play or a religious pageant.
During Holy Week, we celebrate the pascal mystery of Jesus Christ: his dying and rising in obdience to the Father's will. We also celebrate our sharing in this lifegiving mystery through the sacraments of initiation.
Holy Week encompasses the conclusion of Lenten preparation and introduces the great Easter Triduum. It is a time when we are in tune with centuries of Christians tradition. All the people of God are being called to conversion, to turn back to the Lord Jesus. Holy Week provides a graphic remembering of God's love for us in Jesus, of Jesus' total giving of himself for us in his dying and rising in glory. Holy Week is a combination of history and mystery. -
Today I did the first reading : the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 50:4-7.
2nd reading was done by another Lector: A letter of St Paul to the Philippians 2:6-11.
The priest has asked us to, for the rest of this week, reflect on the 2nd reading over and over again. Please do some reflection and feel free to post anything you would like to share.
I will start the ball rolling: HUMILITY .... the passage is about Jesus' humility. -
Palm Sunday of the Lord´s Passion
Father James Swanson, LC
Mark 11:1 – 10
When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately on entering it, you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should say to you, ´Why are you doing this?´ reply, ´The Master has need of it and will send it back here at once.´" So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to do it. So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!"
Introductory Prayer: Help me, Jesus, Son of David and King of Israel. Teach me to listen to you alone and recognize you as my King and Messiah. May I experience, love and please you more as I meditate on the triumph of your entry into Jerusalem.
Petition: Lord, Jesus, grant me the grace to proclaim you as Messiah and Savior. I want to follow you all the days of my life.
1. A Different Kind of Messiah. Up until now, Jesus has never publicly accepted the title of Messiah. He has confirmed privately to his apostles that he is the Messiah, but he has commanded them to tell no one. When people have called him the Messiah, he has never accepted the title and most often has tried to get away from them as quickly as possible. He has reasoned that the Jews donÂ’t understand what the Messiah is really about. Knowing the Messiah is to be a great descendent of King David, they expect the Messiah to appear, raise an army and lead an uprising against the Romans that will drive them from the country and re-establish DavidÂ’s kingdom. Several times we read of Jesus having to slip away because the people intend to make him king. He is not going to be what they expect and he cannot let their expectations get in the way of his mission.
2. A Suffering, Not a Political, Messiah. Yet today, Jesus allows them to proclaim him Messiah. His entry into Jerusalem is exactly what the prophet predicted for the Messiah. He enters riding a donkey, for the Hebrews the traditional mount of royalty. Therefore, his riding a donkey is a claim on kingship, a claim on being the Messiah, and everyone realizes it. Another thing that was supposed to happen when the Messiah entered Jerusalem, was that boys were supposed to be the first to begin to shout, “Hosanna, son of David.” This is exactly what happens. People were supposed to throw down branches and cloaks to pave his way into Jerusalem and this happens too. The Pharisees see all this and complain to him because they see that it is a fulfillment of the prophecy. They want him to tell people he is not the Messiah. Jesus refuses to do so. The time has come for him to be recognized by all as the Messiah because events are now in motion such that they will be unable to make him into the Messiah that they expect; rather he will be the Messiah that was prophesied – the Suffering Servant of Yahweh.
3. The Messiah Rejected by the Experts. The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees are angry. They have already decided they donÂ’t want to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Why do they wish to reject him? Is it because he doesnÂ’t show the signs that the Messiah should show? No, he has fulfilled all the prophecies. Instead, they see that Jesus as Messiah will threaten their social and political positions. Jesus will be more important than they. They donÂ’t want that to happen. They donÂ’t want to lose power. In the end they allow themselves to be convinced that he cannot be the Messiah. Rather than consider all the evidence in his favor, they reject him because they donÂ’t want a Messiah like that.
Dialogue with Christ: Jesus, you are my king and my savior. You don’t have to convince me. I want to follow you with all my heart, but sometimes I fear the modern ‘Pharisees’ who don’t want to accept you. Only love for you can overcome this fear, since love overcomes all obstacles. Fill my heart with a love that knows no limits, the love that drew you from heaven to die on the cross for me. Fill also the hearts of all those who feel threatened by the modern Pharisees who reject you and want to erase your name from the world, so that they will witness bravely to you and to your sacrifice for us.
Resolution: Today, with the courage of my conviction that Jesus is the savior of the world, I will proclaim in some way that he is my Lord and God, especially through the living of charity towards everyone I meet. -
what is the liturgical colour for Palm sunday for the RC?
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REDOriginally posted by NT2:what is the liturgical colour for Palm sunday for the RC?
Anglican leh? -
Holy Thursday
- Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
Tonight's liturgy includes the celebration of the Eucharist with the washing of feet, communion under both forms and a Eucharistic procession. This is followed by the stripping of the altar and a period of personal adoration. At 11.30 pm we begin the Service of Darkness; it is characterized by a series of Scripture readings in stages while lights (candles) are gradually extinguished to symbolize darkness not only of Jesus' death but of hopelessness in the world without God. -
Washing of Feet
At the supper, Jesus performed the work of a slave in washing the feet of his disciples. He, the master, did this in order to give them a dramatic - even shocking - expression of what he wants of us. Now he is asking us to show our love for one another in practical deeds. -
Washing of Feet coveys at least 3 meanings:
1. Jesus revealed what it means to be the Messiah (I come not to be served but to serve) in washing the disciples' feet.
2. Our participation in foot washing shows our image of church as a servant church - people in loving service to its members (one body).
3. The physical and spiritual posture of Christ's followers is humility and charity. -
Renewal of Commitment
and Bless of Oils
Holy Thursday is a time when the bishop, assistant priests and laity realise their interdependence in Christ and his call to serve. During the Chrism Mass, which is usually celebrated in the morning, the bishop calls upon his assistant priests to sacrifice their personal ambition for the sake of the people of God. He then asks them to renew their promises to be faithful ministers of the Word and sacraments. The interrogation concludes with the bishop asking the faithful to pray for their priests and for himself. Then the Blessing of oils will take place - the oil of the Catechumens, the oil of the anointing of the sick and the oil of Chrism (which is used for anointing at Confirmation and Ordination of priests). These oils are later distributed to all parishes to be used for the entired year. -
EASTER TRIDUUM
The Easter Triduum celebrates the paschal mystery of the Lord Jesus, his dying and rising seen as one saving action. The three days from Holy Thursday evening are celebrated as one great feast, the most solemn celebration of the Church's year. The passage of Christ through death to new life is the fulfilment of many death-life passages in the history of the Jewish Scriptures, and is in turn the pattern for our own death-life passage. -
GOOD FRIDAY
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S PASSION
Part I
14th April 2006
On Good Friday
we are invited to stop and reflect on the meaning of God's saving love, on Jesus' obedient suffering and death, and on the price paid to free us from our sins. The Lamb of God has died, has been sacrificed for the members of God's flock; the shepherd has laid down his life for his sheep, his friends. The sinless one was made sin for us, and has freed us from the power of sin and Satan, bringing us from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of light. -
GOOD FRIDAY
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S PASSION
Part II
The Lenten penitential thrust continues on Friday and Saturday of Holy Week. On Good Friday, we are invited to continue our Lenten work of baptismal renewal, listening to God's word, praying, and doing penance. In a particular way, we are invited to join in the paschal fast. Some people fast from Thursday evening to Saturday evening. Others fast only on Friday with one full meal either at lunch or in the evening. But everyone is reqired to abstain from meat. One good way is to fast on bread and water only. Whichever way you decide to fast, the right spiriti of fasting is what is important. -
GOOD FRIDAY
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S PASSION
Part III
The day's main liturgical celebration has three main parts: Liturgy of the World, the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion. The entrance procession takes place in silence and the presider bows and prostrates in silence. This is to emphasize the relfective starkness of this day's liturgy. The Passion according to John will be proclaimed and this will be followed by the solemn intercessions. This form of intercessions was the usual Sunday format in Rome in the third century. It has been retained here as a way of encouraging God's people to pray with Christ for all the needs of the Church and the wolrd. A large cross is then brought to the altar. All are invited to venerate the cross in their own way, simply by bowing, genuflecting or kissing it. -
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/203150/1/.html
Novena church celebrate Communion on Gd Friday? i thot there isnt any communion since its already in the altar of repose? -
same lorOriginally posted by Honeybunz:RED
Anglican leh?
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The Blessed Sacrament is probably kept in the sacristy instead of the Sancutary...Originally posted by NT2:http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/203150/1/.html
Novena church celebrate Communion on Gd Friday? i thot there isnt any communion since its already in the altar of repose? -
oh? isnt it reserved in the altar of repose since maundy thurs evening?Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:The Blessed Sacrament is probably kept in the sacristy instead of the Sancutary... -
well, i guess they can still take it out of the altar right?
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hmmm...wont it like disturb it?Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:well, i guess they can still take it out of the altar right?
care to tell me more the the 'situation' in the tabernacle fr maundy thurs to holy sat. -
the sanctuary will not have any blessed sacrament, as you will see that the candle at the tabernacle is not lit. it is most likely kept elsewhere.
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ya..its relocated to the altar of repose mah..and its locked.Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:the sanctuary will not have any blessed sacrament, as you will see that the candle at the tabernacle is not lit. it is most likely kept elsewhere.
u mean they opened it on Gd Friday? -
i really have no idea..
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haha....could be a research topic hor.Originally posted by SingaporeMacross:i really have no idea..