Easter Sunday

He is risen!  Death, where is your sting?  Alleluia!

Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday, the Church keeps vigil, as we wait for and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.

"Receive the Light of Christ," we tell one another at the Vigil

Where do I need Christ's light in my life?  Where do I need to shine light in my family, community, and world?


image credit: Lawrence OP on flickr

View from the Cross

For Good Friday, a painting depicting what Jesus saw from the cross called "View from the Cross," by James Tissot.

For a quick synopsis of what you're looking at, read this entry in Art and the Bible.

Where would you be in this picture (be honest)?  Far away, close by, or somewhere in between?

Holy Thursday

To prepare for Holy Thursday's liturgy (Mass of the Lord's Supper), take a look at this video from Fr. Robert Barron's Catholicism series.  In it he talks about the words of Jesus in John 6.



What's my experience of the Eucharist?  Do I believe with my actions as well as with my mind that Jesus has the words of everlasting life?

Virtual Stations of the Cross

If you're looking for a way to pray the Stations of the Cross at home, I recommend taking at look at the Virtual Stations of the Cross put together by Busted Halo, a website run by the Paulists (in addition to the two I previously recommended).  These stations are very well done, combining our Tradition with contemporary artwork and reflections written for people trying to follow Jesus in the world today.  The Stations are pray at your own pace, so you can reflect on and pray with one station for as long as you wish before moving on to the next Station.

I've embedded the first two below, but you can pray with the rest by clicking here.

First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death


Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross
 

A Guide to Holy Week's Liturgical Colors

Many colors, many meanings

"Wait, is Holy Thursday a white day or a red day?"

"Father wore red on Palm Sunday -- why not purple?" 

"What color should I wear on Good Friday?"

If you've asked yourself one of these questions, or many related questions, in the past few days, you're not alone.  During Holy Week, Catholics use three different colors liturgically: red, purple, and white.  Below is a quick guide to these colors, which days they're associated with, and what they symbolize.

Red: Palm Sunday & Good Friday

On Palm Sunday, celebrants wear red

Used twice during Holy Week (Palm Sunday and Good Friday), red is associated with passion and love in the world at large.  Red is the liturgical color for exactly this reason, to help drive home the point that Jesus loved us to death -- and beyond.  The two times that we read the Lord's Passion in it's entirety are Palm Sunday and Good Friday, so it's no coincidence that the liturgical color these two days is red.  Also associated with feast day of martyrs (those who witness to our Catholic faith to the point of giving their lives), the red liturgical color on these two days symbolizes the blood shed by Jesus.

Purple
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week all use the Lenten color of purple.  These days are the regular Lenten days and so get the regular Lenten color, symbolizing the penance we are undergoing in preparation for Easter.

On Holy Thursday, celebrants wear white

White: Holy Thursday & Easter Vigil/Sunday

*Did you know Lent officially ends on Holy Thursday?  On Holy Thursday, our mood turns celebratory as we poignantly celebrate the Last Supper the day before we commemorate Jesus' death on Good Friday, a day with no Mass.  Holy Thursday is the day we dust the Gloria off and represent it to Catholic communities world wide, singing triumphantly the song of praise and glory to God that we have not sung together in weeks.  And of course on Easter we joyously and triumphantly celebrate the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, singing "death, where is your sting?"  Jesus reigns and we celebrate!  So the liturgical color of white symbolizes joy, triumph, and glory.

*note: we don't end our fasting after Lent ends, but instead enter into the Triduum fast as we continue and intensify our preparation for Easter.


Image Credits: chelmsfordblue on flickr; bquad on flickr

Holy Week Basket

Fill your basket

With Holy Week around the corner, here's an idea for your family that will help make Holy Week a special week: Holy Week baskets!  Bust out the fake green grass a little early and scrounge up your Spring-colored plastic Easter eggs: we're repurposing them in a non-candy way.

Put the green plasticy grass in the basket, and place the basket in a prominent place in your house.  Inside the eggs, place slips of paper with different actions or ideas for keeping Holy Week.  For ideas, check out the description of a classroom version of this activity.  Here are some that are St. Mark specific:

• Attend the Palm Sunday parish penance service (at 7:00PM on Palm Sunday)
• Donate a household item for those who cannot afford it (see bulletin for details)
• Attend a Holy Week service at St. Mark

What other ideas could you include in your Holy Week basket?

Image credit: tracitodd on flickr

Palm Sunday Video

Here's a video (not intended for children) about Palm Sunday.  How do we approach the only Sunday Gospel of the year where we, the assembly, have speaking parts?



Do I just go through the motions of Palm Sunday?  Where in my life do I need to turn away from sin and embrace the Gospel?

Holy Week in 2 Minutes

This two minute video which runs through the holiest week of the year, Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday.
What did you learn from this video?  What could you pass on to your children?

Holy Week Services at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA

Below is the Mass and service schedule for St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA for Holy Week 2012 (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday).

Palm (Passion) Sunday, April 1

• Mass Times: 8:00AM; 10:00AM; 12:00 noon
  The outdoor procession will take place at the noon Mass only, and will begin with the blessing of the palms in the Activities Center.
• Parish Penance Service: 7:00PM

Holy Thursday, April 5

• Mass of the Lord's Supper: 7:30PM
• Adoration: post-Mass until midnight

Good Friday, April 6

• Stations of the Cross: 12 noon
• Celebration of the Lord's Passion: 3:00PM
• Living Stations of the Cross: 7:30PM

Holy Saturday, April 7

• Blessing of the Food: 12 noon
• Easter Vigil: 8:30PM

Easter Sunday, April 8

• Mass Times: 8:00AM; 10:00AM; 12:00 noon 

Note: Mass times on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are a bit different for the early and late Mass: 8AM instead of 8:15AM and 12 noon instead of 11:45AM.