Holy Week and Easter services
Holy Week and Easter are the most important days in the church calendar because they commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus which was the very reason he was born.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday when Jesus made his final entrance into Jerusalem and culminates with Easter Sunday.
There are three special days in the week which are called the “Triduum”. The word “triduum” comes from the Latin word triduum, which comes from tris (“three”) + dies (“day”).
Maundy Thursday is the day on which we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples: when he gave them a new commandment to love one another, when he washed their feet and when he broke bread and shared wine as his body and blood.
Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross after suffering cruel flogging and degradation. It is a day when we can do nothing more than sit in our imaginations at the foot of the cross.
Holy Saturday is a strange day of waiting and watching.
Easter Day is the day of Jesus’ resurrection: it is a day of joy, of profound and deep thankfulness for the promise of resurrection and the fulfilment of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
