Holy Week

Palm Sunday inaugurates Holy Week, the most solemn period of the Christian Year, culminating in Good Friday. On Maundy Thursday we remember our Lord’s institution of the Holy Communion, as well as his act of washing the disciples’ feet. On Good Friday we especially remember the historical reality of Our Lord's death on the cross, whereby He obtained for us the forgiveness of sins and salvation through His blood.

This year, due to the pandemic, we are unable to meet in person for our Holy Week services and to receive the Sacrament. Nonetheless, Our Lord is with us at all times, his death atones for all our sins if we confess them to him, and the power of his real, historical resurrection enables those who belong to him to lead a new life, walking in holiness.

As Anglicans, we use the Church Year to help us to remember and to re-enact the events that have brought salvation to mankind. These events include Jesus' conception, remembered at the Annunciation and Jesus' birth, remembered at Christmas. Holy Week is the most vivid example of this principle of remembrance through the liturgical year, for in it we try to go through the events of the last week of Jesus' life, up to and including His death by crucifixion, in order to make our hearts softened, grateful, and ready for the joy of Easter. This remembrance also reminds us that, as Scripture teaches again and again, we must suffer and die with Him if we are to reign with Him.

The collect for Wednesday in Holy Week emphasizes all of this by asking for God's assistance as we enter into meditation on those mighty acts by which God has wrought our salvation.

On the first Holy Saturday, the disciples' hearts were heavy. Jesus was in the tomb, and they did not know what would happen. All seemed lost and dark. But Sunday is coming.