What Is Holy Week? A Catholic Guide
What Is Holy Week? A Catholic Guide
Holy Week is the most sacred week in the Catholic calendar. It is the week in which the Church relives, day by day, the final days of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His institution of the Eucharist, His Passion and Death on the Cross, and His glorious Resurrection from the dead.
Everything in the liturgical year leads to Holy Week. Advent prepares for the Incarnation. Lent prepares for the Passion. But it is Holy Week itself, and above all the Easter Triduum at its heart, that stands as the summit of the entire Catholic faith.
When Is Holy Week?
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and concludes on Holy Saturday, immediately before Easter Sunday. Because Easter falls on a different date each year, the first Sunday after the first full moon following the autumn equinox, Holy Week moves with it, falling anywhere between late March and late April.
The Days of Holy Week
Palm Sunday
Holy Week opens with Palm Sunday, which commemorates the triumphant entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–9). The crowds spread palm branches and cloaks in His path, crying out "Hosanna!", hailing Him as the long-awaited King.
At Mass on Palm Sunday, palms are blessed and distributed to the faithful, who carry them in procession. The Passion according to Saint Matthew is then read in full. The vestments are deep scarlet red, foreshadowing the sacrifice that lies ahead.
The palms taken home are sacramentals. They should be kept in a place of honour and never simply thrown away. Many parishes burn the previous year's palms on Ash Wednesday to make the ashes used at the start of Lent.
Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
The first three days of Holy Week are sometimes called Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday. Each day carries its own Gospel readings that draw the faithful deeper into the unfolding mystery of the Passion
On Holy Monday, Jesus cleansed the Temple, driving out the money changers (John 12:1–11). On Holy Tuesday, He taught in the Temple for the last time and foretold the destruction of Jerusalem. Holy Wednesday takes its name from "Spy Wednesday" from the Gospel account of Judas going to the chief priests and agreeing to betray Our Lord for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16).
Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday is a day of beginnings, the night on which Christ gave His Church its two greatest gifts: the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood.
At the Last Supper, Our Lord took bread and wine, and said: "This is my body… this is my blood" (Matthew 26:26–28). He commanded His apostles to do the same in His memory. In doing so, He instituted the Mass and the ordained priesthood in a single act.
After Mass on Holy Thursday, the Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession to a place of repose, where the faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration. The altar is then stripped bare, and the church falls silent.
Good Friday
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year. It is the day Our Lord was arrested, condemned, and crucified on Calvary. He died at three o'clock in the afternoon. The sun went dark. The veil of the Temple was torn in two.
There is no Mass on Good Friday. Instead, the faithful gather at three o'clock for the Celebration of the Lord's Passion, which includes the reading of the Passion according to Saint John, the Veneration of the Holy Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion.
It is a day of strict fasting and abstinence. Many Catholics also pray the Stations of the Cross, meditating on the fourteen moments of Our Lord's journey to Calvary.
Read more: Good Friday: The Day Our Lord Died
Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is the day of silence. It is the day the Body of Christ lay in the tomb. The Church does not celebrate Mass. The tabernacle is empty. There is no liturgy until after nightfall, when the great Easter Vigil begins.
It is a day for quiet prayer, fasting, and waiting. Ancient tradition holds that on this day, while the apostles hid in fear and grief, Our Lady alone kept perfect faith. Never doubting that her Son would rise as He had promised. This is why Saturday throughout the year is dedicated to Our Lady.
Read more: Holy Saturday: The Day the World Held Its Breath
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is the greatest feast of the Christian year. It is the day Our Lord rose bodily from the dead, conquering sin and death and opening the gates of Heaven. It is the day towards which all of Holy Week, all of Lent, and in a sense all of human history has been moving.
The Easter Vigil, celebrated after dark on Holy Saturday night, is the most ancient liturgy in the Church. On Easter morning, Mass is celebrated with great solemnity, the church adorned in white and gold, the Alleluia ringing out for the first time since before Lent began.
Read more: Easter Sunday: The Day Death Was Defeated
Fasting and Penance in Holy Week
The Church calls Catholics to enter Holy Week with a spirit of penance and recollection. Good Friday is a day of strict fast and abstinence from meat. Holy Saturday is also traditionally observed as a day of fasting in preparation for Easter.
More broadly, Holy Week is a time to step back from the noise and distraction of ordinary life and accompany Our Lord through the final days of His earthly journey. Extra prayer, the Stations of the Cross, attendance at the Triduum liturgies, and Eucharistic adoration on Holy Thursday night are all ways to enter more fully into the mystery of the week.
A Prayer for Holy Week
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from Thee.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to Thee,
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee forever and ever. Amen.
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