The week before Easter is considered the holiest week of the year; however, many Royals may be excited about spring break and forget the importance of this week for our faith. Executive Director of Campus Ministry Mrs. Kearns ‘78 explained a perspective on Holy Week through the lens of hope: “As Catholics our hope (our Jubilee theme) is grounded in the resurrection of Christ and the promises of God. Holy Week, which helps us to focus on Christ’s Passion and Resurrection, is a powerful time to put our faith into action by living with the hope that Christ provides as He calls us to be disciples who share our faith and the promise of Resurrection.” Not only is this week a celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice, but also of His life and mission on earth. Let’s take a little look at what each of these days mean.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday commemorates when Jesus rode through Jerusalem on a humble donkey as the people laid down palm leaves in his path and cried “Hosanna.” Jesus fulfilled Zachariah 9:9-10, when it was prophesied that a Savior would come riding on a donkey to proclaim peace to the nations. This day is believed to be the same day that the Jewish people would select their lamb for sacrifice on Passover. This correlation illustrates how Jesus is the Paschal lamb who saved us from sin.
Holy (Maundy) Thursday
Holy Thursday commemorates Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. Many Christian religions call this day Maundy Thursday because Maundy is a Latin word describing the ceremony of the washing of the feet of the poor. This day is important because it represents Jesus’ humility, and in this story, Jesus reminds us to love one another just as He loved us. Also on this day, we recognize the Last Supper. Jesus’ last meal with his disciples was when he revealed that he was the sacrificial lamb and instituted the Eucharist as his body and blood to be shed for our sins.
Good Friday
Good Friday is considered the day that Jesus died. Although his death was a tragic one for many believers at the time, it is titled “Good” because “The obedience of Jesus has transformed the curse of death into a blessing” (CCC 1009). Through his death, Jesus paid the price for our sins, allowing us to receive eternal life. Like all Fridays in Lent, most Catholics abstain from meat on this day. Additionally, in solidarity with Christ’s suffering, Catholics are called to fast on Good Friday.
Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday represents the time between Jesus’ death and his resurrection on Easter. It is a day of mourning and reflection. Holy Saturday is a day to reflect on the reality that our sins, and our sins alone, crucified Jesus on Good Friday. He died so we could have life. With the sadness that comes with his death, we also get to look forward to his glorious resurrection and second coming.
Easter
On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. He reminds us that there is life after death. While Jesus’ death displayed his humanity, his power over death highlights his divinity. Yes, Jesus saves us from sin, but there is also a hope that we, too, rise with Christ. He offers us hope and salvation that is worth more than anything we can imagine.
Holy week is definitely a time to appreciate your family and the whole Rosary community. Lizzie Larson ‘25 comments, “Holy Week is an important time that my family recognizes. We always spend the week together as a homage to the holy family and their unity in a time of hardship. We enjoy each other’s company, and we always pray and go to Mass together during Holy Week.”
Of course, these descriptions of Holy Week are only brief overviews of the depth and importance behind this week. We encourage you to do your own research on these topics because they are so central to our faith and understanding of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and mission.
Resources for independent research:
- Fr. Mike Schmitz has great podcast episodes and YouTube videos on Holy Week
- The Hallow app has good reflections and prayers
- For Maundy Thursday: Maundy Thursday: Significance, Traditions, and Key Teachings – DivineNarratives
- For Holy Saturday: Holy Saturday | Catholic Answers Encyclopedia; we also encourage you to spend some time in deep prayer, searching for prayers online or in the Ascension app can be good if you don’t know where to start
