Reflections on Holy Week
Beloved in Christ,
Holy Week is upon us! And during this week, we take particular time in both our actions and prayer lives to bring Christ, and particular the Passion of Christ, to the forefront. This week is the most holy and sacred time of the year. It is the most somber and tragic. It is also, simultaneously, the most joyful. There is something about the interplay between life and death, suffering and joy, defeat and triumph, that captures the human experience - all of which is lived out by the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
In particular, we recall the Paschal Triduum which commemorates the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.
Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin, mandare, meaning commandment. It is here where we recall the Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist, and the washing of feet. We are reminded of Christ’s love for us as he gives us the “new commandment” “that you love one another. Just as I have love you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
At the end of the service, the altar is stripped. Communion will not be celebrated again until Easter. The removal of the items from the altar signify the beginning of the Passion, and the stripping of Christ and his dignity. It is a visual sign of the abandonment of Christ.
Good Friday (from the Old English meaning of good as in “holy”), is the day Jesus is crucified and dies on the cross. This is the day we recall the horror in which creation killed its creator.
The Orthodox have a powerful hymn which brings this imagery to the forefront. It goes:
Today he who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon a Tree,
He who is King of the Angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns.
He who wraps the heaven in clouds is wrapped in mocking purple.
He who freed Adam in the Jordan receives a blow on the face.
The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails.
The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a lance,.
We worship your Sufferings, O Christ
Show us also your glorious Resurrection.
And of course, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are the days we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Until we get there, though, we must get through the darkness, sadness, and cosmic horror which culminate in Easter. I pray that we will live fully into this week and where it calls us.
Yours in Christ,
Alex+