Plans for Holy Week

Liturgical Color(s): Violet (Purple); various
Type of Holiday: Fast
Time of Year: The Last Week of Lent Before Easter Sunday
Duration: Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Various Final Events of Jesus' Life
Alternate Names: hebdomada major
Scriptural References: Matthew 21, 26-27; Mark 11, 14-15; Luke 19, 22-23; John 13, 16-19

Holy Week is the last week of Lent before Easter, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending on Holy Saturday. In an older nomenclature, Holy Week is the second Sunday of Passiontide (Passiontide begins on the fifth Sunday of Lent). Holy Week is the part of the Church Year where Jesus' final moments are commemorated. The final three days of Holy week are part of the Paschal Triduum. Holy Week consists of the following events, which have their own pages on ChurchYear.Net. To get more details, click on the specific links:

Palm Sunday:
On the sixth Sunday of Lent we commemorate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Worship services include blessing of the palms and a procession. The liturgical color is red. Also known as "Fig Sunday."

Spy Wednesday:
This is an old and uncommon name for the Wednesday of Holy Week, which commemorates Judas' agreement to betray Jesus (see Matthew 26:3-5, 14-16).

Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday):
The name "Maundy Thursday" is derived from Jesus "mandate" to love one another as he loves us. This day celebrates Jesus' institution of the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Ordination. Also known as "Shear Thursday."

Good Friday of the Lord's Passion:
A Fast day of the Church commemorating Jesus' crucifixion and death. Worship customs include Veneration of the Cross, communion from the reserved Maundy Thursday host, and the singing or preaching of the Passion (reading or singing excerpts of the Passion story from John's gospel). In the Catholic Church, the liturgical color was formerly black, but is now red.

Holy Saturday:
This is the final day of both Holy Week and the Triduum. There are few specific customs associated with Holy Saturday, except that it is the final night before the Feast of the Resurrection, which begins at the Great Easter Vigil.

Other customs and events, including Tenebrae, have developed as Holy Week customs. Generally Holy Week is a busy time for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, as we build up to the Queen of all Church Feasts, Easter (Pascha).

♥ These are the plans we have for Holy Week. Perhaps this will happen perhaps not depends on the sickies.

♥ General Plans ~
We will be spending time again with the Pascal Mystery Eggs and Benjamin's Box, also the Stations of the Cross on Friday.

♥ All week we will be journing around Jerusalem using the script and the figures prepared last year. I have been looking forward to this for so long.

♥ We will continue to read through our Lent and Easter books (in the side bar)

♥ We will have the Last Supper Presentation, complete with painted Figures.

♥ We will continue to tell the stories with the Betty Luken's felt board kit.

♥ Make a paschal candle, we make this each year. Lacy at Cathoic Icing has some links for various ideas.

We usually use a simple version of cutting out decorative wax and 'sticking' it on the candle.It is relatively quick and looks very good.

In past years we have 'cut out' with a sharp knife the shapes we want and then painted in oil paint the colours to fill in the shapes.

♥ We will be dying Eggs this week as opposed to doing Pysanky Eggs like last year.

♥ These felted eggs are spectacular. I have to make them!!!!!!!!!!

♥ I saw this great idea about Easter Eggs from Faith Filled Days. I am really keen to do this activity. If we can keep the little ones from braking the shells we have blown out.

You Can Decorate Easter Eggs with Attributes of Jesus

Or Put the Scripture Verses Inside Plastic Eggs

Faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9) Righteous (1 John 2:1) Holy (1Peter 1:15) Forgiving (Psalm 86:5) Loving (Romans 8:35-39) Merciful (James 5:11) All-Knowing or omniscient (John 1:48) All-Present or omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12) All-Powerful or omnipotent (Matthew 28:18) Eternal (Genesis 21:33) Full of Truth (John 14:6) Full of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2) Compassionate (Mark 1:41) Just (Acts17:31) Kind (Ephesians 2:7) Gentle (Matthew 21:5) Unchanging (Hebrews 13:8) Creative (Genesis 1:26) Infinite (1 Kings 8:27) Sovereign (Jude 4) Goodness (John 10:11) Trustworthy (Psalm 19:7) Generous (2 Corinthians 8:7-9)

From Focus on the Family

There are so many different choices.
This is a DLTK link for lots of different ways to dye eggs.This is another from kidspot
and I have been long admiring this one from simple organic.

Kimberly has this really cool idea that I am really keen to share with the children. It looks like such a neat thing our children would enjoy.

♥ Once again we will put up our crosses on our hill at the front of our house.

♥ If we are looking for extra crafts and colouring pages Catholic Icing has links to lots of them
Holy week links from Catholic Culture
Some interesting colouring links here too at apples4theteacher
Lots of links too fromt he 4real forum on Holy Week

♥ We will set up our tomb that is a ritual each year
Here are some activities to Emphasize the True Meaning of Easter- from the Boyers
♥ Palm Sunday~ Well this is what we did for this year

♥ From Monday to Wednesday we will do the egg activities and lots of reading. Pick Stephen up from the airport on Wednesday evening

♥ On Maundy Thursday:
Strip the family altar of all it's embellishments and it will remain stark and empty until Easter.

Stripping of the altar (removing all ornaments, linens, and paraments) is an ancient custom of the Church done on Maundy Thursday. It is symbolic of the humiliation of Jesus at the hands of the soldiers.

After the Last Supper, less that 24 hours remained in the earthly life of our Lord. Events moved rapidly: prayer in Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, arrest, mock trial, painful beating, the trudge to Golgotha and execution.

As His life was stripped from Him, so we strip our altar of the signs of life to symbolize His purposeful, redemptive suffering and death for us. Plants are new life springing forth. In the passion and suffering of Christ, human life ebbs from Him. In recognition of this we remove the palms from our altar.

PALMS ARE REMOVED.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” The events of Golgotha snuffed out the human life of Jesus, the Light of the world. As even creation was dark when He suffered, so we extinguish our candles and remove them.

CANDLES ARE EXTINGUISHED AND REMOVED.

Our offerings represent one way of serving God and others. They reflect Gods greatest offering to the world and to us in sending His Son, Jesus, in human form. As the offered body of Jesus was removed from sight in burial, so we remove our offerings.

OFFERINGS ARE REMOVED.

The missal stand holds our worship books that guide our worship life together as we sing praises to God. As Jesus suffers, joyous songs are not heard. As these sounds of joy are removed from our lips, we remove the missal stand.

MISSAL STAND AND SERVICE BOOK ARE REMOVED.

Jesus’ offered Body and His shed Blood have been give to us in, with, and under the form of bread and wine in this Holy Mystery. As He was removed from us in the grave, so we remove the elements and vessels of this Sacrament.

COMMUNION VESSELS ARE REMOVED.

Our altar is in the form of a table. It is here where our Lord Jesus serves us as both host and meal at His banquet feast. The coverings and paraments are made of fine linen; material appropriate for feasting with our King. As our King’s body was stripped in crucifixion, so our altar is stripped of its coverings.

ALTAR PARAMENTS ARE REMOVED.

The Paschal Candle is carried from the baptismal font to the rear of the sanctuary where it is extinguished. There is no benediction or postlude at the end of this service, which indicates that the service has not concluded. [Our worship continues on Good Friday.]

♥ We will have our Traditional Seder meal.
I will hopefully type up the 'script' we use and the meal, which is a roast lamb meal followed by Trifle for sweets which is usually after Church as we often end up ' eating standing up and in a hurry' as we then head off to Church for the Mass of the Last Supper.

♥ On Good Friday we will have our home made Hot Cross Buns (recipe to follow) and Fish meal
Stations of the Cross (with these colouring pictures) and we will start The Divine Mercy Novena
Try to maintain a 'quiet hour' for reflective time.
♥ We have had a tradition of putting up these crosses each year on the hill in front of our house. We have even made a purple robe and crown of thorns that we place on the central cross.
They can be seen from the road and we hope that people driving past will see them and reflect on the meaning.

All watch Jesus: the man behind the Millennium (if any one know a better film, please let me know) and older people can watch the Passion of the Christ if they want.

♥ This was our Good Friday last year

♥ On Holy Saturday along with the Resurrection cookies below we will decorate our caterpillars and place them in a cocoon so we have emerging butterflies on Easter Day.

♥ Prepare the Easter table in Preparation for Easter Day

♥ Resurrection Cookies
We have made these for so many years. Even on very late Holy Saturday when the option is given how about bed we have still had to make them.

Resurrection Cookies

This version is from From Fisheaters
My original version was from an e-mail group,( paper copy) and I don't have a link

1 cup whole pecans ( we have made these with other nuts, but this year will use chocolate chips because we aren't that fond of the nuts)
1 tsp vinegar, plus some for your children to taste
3 egg whites
pinch salt, plus some for your children to taste
1 cup sugar, plus some for your children to taste

Tools: rolling pin or wooden spoon, plastic baggie with a zipper-lock, scotch tape, Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (this in important - don't wait until you are halfway done with the recipe!) Place pecans in the plastic baggie and let children beat them with a rolling pin or wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3: "And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows."

Let each child smell and taste some vinegar. Put vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30. "Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth. Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost."

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep."

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it as you put the tsp. salt into the bowl and explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27 "And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him."

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18, " And then come, and accuse me, saith the Lord: if your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow: and if they be red as crimson, they shall be white as wool."

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add the sugar to the egg whites, and give some for your children to taste. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 33:9 (34:8 in Bibles with Masoretic numbering) and John 3:16. "O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: blessed is the man that hopeth in him... ...For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting."

Then read John 3:1-3, "And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him." Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet (do not use a baking stone!). Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Mathew 27:57-60 "And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth. And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way."

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66 "Pilate saith to them: You have a guard; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards."

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20-22 "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So also you now indeed have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice; and your joy no man shall take from you."

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9 "And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And his countenance was as lightning, and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him, the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye his disciples that he is risen: and behold he will go before you into Galilee; there you shall see him. Lo, I have foretold it to you. And they went out quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples. And behold Jesus met them, saying: All hail. But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him."

CHRISTUS RESURREXIT! HE HAS RISEN!

♥ Easter Day- Celebrate Mass and have a lovely family day together
Another Lamb meal and a Lamb cake.
Easter Egg hunt outside
Eat Easter Eggs of course.
Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding (slightly edited for family veiwing)

Our Easter 2009

♥ Prepare for the Good Shepherd Garden Party


Blessings,