Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, a longer service than usual, as it includes longer readings, processions and blessing and distributions of palms. Folks generally fold their palms and stick them behind crucifixes in their homes. Last years are taken down and burned. Many folk will try to get to confession during the week. Holy Thursday is a mass celeabrating the inauguration of the mass by Jesus at the last supper. Many Anabaptists are surprised to learn this is where the Catholic Church practices foot washing, where the priest washes the feet of twelve people (or in more conservative settings men).
After the Holy Thursday mass the tabernacle is emptied and there will be NO masses or communion until the Saturday night Easter vigil mass. On Good Friday churches hold different types of prayer services, often Stations of the Cross.
The Sat evening Easter Vigil is the mass where new church members are baptized and fully accepted into the Church (as was traditional since the earliest days, Easternis the most important day of the year and the Mass reflects that.
We will have the entire family for a big meal after Mass, with Ham, Lasagna (yes, we have Italian blood), sides, Cake in the shape of a lamb, and of course for our Orthodox relatives the all important (but non religious) home made baklawa. (So poorly pronounced baklava by the Greeks.
).For those that shudder at our “idol worship” the statues and such have been covered since Lent began and will be removed just prior to the Easter Vigil mass.
Happy Easter to you All. I always appreciate my favorite hymn, Oh Sacred Head Surrounded, is song so frequently on Easter in Catholic and Anabaptist settings. Yes Anabaptists, like Silent Night, Lead Kindly Light, and Faith of our Fathers, O sacred Head Surrounded were ours first.
Make the most of Holy Week as you spiritually try to walk in His shoes.
Hey, you started it! 