HOLY WEEK AND EASTER - St Philip's Episcopal Church
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER Holy Week is the week preceding Easter and the final week of Lent. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Holy Week includes Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, which, together with Holy Saturday, are known as the Triduum. Before the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, Holy Week was the second week of Passiontide; in the current calendar, Passiontide is synonymous with Holy Week.
During Holy Week, Christians commemorate the Passion of Christ,
Who died on Good Friday in reparation for the sins of mankind, and
rose on Easter Sunday to give new life to all who believe. Thus,
while Holy Week is solemn and sorrowful, it also anticipates the joy
of Easter through the recognition of God's goodness in sending His
Son to die for our salvation.
Join Rev. Marlene for The Triduum. These three services are really
one event, stretched over three days. As a sign of our unity you might
consider using the resources below for prayer on each of the three
nights or join us on Zoom at the designated times.
Below are some links to resources to help
you journey through Holy Week
Holy Week and Easter At Home Resurrection Egg Instructions
Booklet
Holy Week and Easter Coloring
Triduum-Holy Week Service Pages
Bulletin
Legend of the Pretzel
Trappist Monk Bread Recipe
Marking a Year of Covid-19
Holy Week In a Box Coloring Pages
The Sunday of the Passion
March 28, 2021
10:00am
Palm Sunday Service
with
the Passion Play and Spiritual Communion
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week (the final week of
Lent) and honors Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem as
depicted in the Gospels. As Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem,
crowds gathered in the streets laying coats in his path, thus
treating Jesus like royalty. They also laid palm branches, an
ancient symbol of victory and peace, in the road. They shouted
"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!" "Hosanna" is an expression of praise and joy.
Palm Sunday is often celebrated by Christians today with
processions in churches and in streets which include the waving
of palms, singing, and shouts of "Hosanna!" Though it is the
beginning of a somber week, Palm Sunday is a day of
celebration.
SUNDAY SERVICE LINK
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 1st, 2021
7:00pm
Maundy Thursday At Home on Zoom
with Agape Meal
Hand/Foot washing
and Stripping of the Table/Altar
The three holy days at the center of the Christian faith are
commemorated with a series of worship services known as
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Together
they are called the Triduum, and each day tells a part of the story
that leads to Easter Morning; each offers us an intimate and
significant encounter with Jesus.
Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is the night of The Last
Supper, the meal Jesus shared with his friends before he died.
For Christians, it is one of the most sacred nights of the year.
Maundy is from the Latin word for "command," referring to Jesus'
commandment to "Love one another." Jesus demonstrated what
it means to love and serve one another by the humble act of
washing his disciples' feet. This is also the night Jesus shared
bread and wine with his friends, asking them to "Do this in
remembrance of me" after his death. Shortly thereafter, Jesus
was betrayed and arrested.
Holy Week Zoom Link
Friday April 2nd, 2021
Noon & 8pm: Stations of the Cross on Zoom
On Good Friday we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The
calendar date of Good Friday varies from year to year, along with
Lent and Easter, but it is always the Friday before Easter. It is a
somber day of silence and prayer and is the only day of the
church year we do not celebrate the Eucharist. The origin of the
name "Good" Friday is unknown. Some believe it comes from an
older name, "God's Friday." Good Friday was called "Long
Friday" by the Anglo-Saxons, and is called "Holy Friday" in some
places. The portion of the Gospel of John known as The Passion
(John 18-19) is often read on Good Friday. As we read, it is
critical to understand that these texts were written in a particular
context, to acknowledge that they have been wrongly used to
perpetrate anti-semitism and violence against Jewish people, and
to remember it was the Roman Empire who killed Jesus.
Crucifixion was a common form of public execution at the time. It
is believed Jesus' crucifixion took place just outside Jerusalem, in
Calvary, also called Golgotha.
Holy Week Zoom Link
Holy Saturday Quiet Day
Saturday April 3rd, 2021
Jesus says, “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll
show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me –
watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Matthew 11:28-29
In the midst of our busy lives we have little time for silence. Find
your own space to honor God. The Easter Saturday Quiet Day is
an opportunity to give God back some of our time, and to think on
the holiness and absolute power of God, into whose presence we
should come with humility and reverence. "Be still, and know that
I am God." Begin your day with Morning Prayer. Take some time
for spiritual retreat. Take a step back from your busy life, deepen
your practice of centering in prayer, and gain a new perspective
on your spiritual life. Take some time to read the Scriptures; have
time to walk alone and enjoy God’s beautiful Gifts. Use this Quiet
day to pray, journal, meditate, and enjoy the beauty around us.
Saturday April 3rd, 2021
7:30pm on Zoom
The Great Vigil of Easter follows the ancient practice of
celebrating the Easter Feast at sunset on Easter Eve. The
Easter Vigil begins in darkness, recalling the darkness before
Creation and the darkness of the tomb. The liturgy consists
of four parts: The Light (kindling of new fire and lighting the
Paschal candle to represent the dawning of Creation and the
new light of Easter Morning); The Lessons (key readings and
psalms from Scripture); Baptism or the Renewal of Baptism
(committing or recommitting to our life with Christ); and the
Holy Eucharist. In some traditions, the Vigil readings are
offered with drama or humor, sometimes with costumes and
props. The Easter Vigil is a time of remembering, re-telling,
and living into the fullness of our relationship with and
experiences of God from the beginning of time through the
present.
Holy Week Zoom Link
April 4, 2021
10:00am
Festal Easter Service
Accounts of the first Easter are found in all four Gospels
(Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, Luke 24:1–49, John
20:1–23). Each account differs, sometimes slightly and
sometimes significantly. Regardless of the differences in
detail, the hope of Jesus' resurrection after his crucifixion
is at the heart of Christian belief and Easter Sunday is the
principal celebration of the resurrection. The hope and
promise of new life is welcomed with bells, flowers, and
joyful shouts of “Alleluia, Christ is Risen!” to which oneresponds, "The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia!" Easter
Sunday begins the joyful season of Easter, which includes
Easter Sunday and the “Great 50 Days” that follow. The
Easter story reminds us over and over again that our God
makes all things new. Over and over again, we are invited
to be surprised by Love.
SUNDAY SERVICE ZOOM LINK
St. Philip's Episcopal Church
2900 Hanes Ave.
Richmond, VA 23222
804-321-1266You can also read
