Holy Week: what it means to us.


Holy Week: what it means to us.
The first Holy Week ... when Jesus Christ was with us in his humanity, was the most important week in His life, and is the most important in our life as well. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, and this week should be for us, a time of prayer and meditation as we try to place ourselves through Scripture reading in that special week so long ago. Christ's Passion took place in Jerusalem, a city in Palestine. Some people might say Jerusalem is in Israel, but factually it is in Palestine. We're talking of a week in the year 30 A.D. during Passover week, from the 9th to the 16th of the Jewish month Nisan (March-April), a time when the city was crowded with visitors. At that time, in history, Israel was under Roman rule. The Roman Governor was Pontius Pilate. The High Priest was Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin consisted of 70 elders. Galilee was the region in the north of Palestine where Herod was king. Palm Sunday Jesus was aware of the attitudes of the authorities against him. But Jesus moved around without fear, very openly, from Bethany to Jerusalem (circa 2 miles apart). Bethany was the home of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, as well as that of Simon the Leper. Jesus is reported to have lodged there after his entry into Jerusalem, and it was from Bethany that he parted from his disciples at the Ascension. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which Jesus begins near Bethany is found in Mark 11:1 and Luke 19:29. The lodging of Jesus in Bethany during the following week in Matthew 21:17 and Mark 11:11-12. As Jesus travelled, he rode on a donkey, provided beforehand by his disciples. With his followers, he entered Jerusalem in a triumphal procession. Monday of Holy Week Jesus was busy after His entry in Jerusalem, he would come into the city in the morning, and he taught the people, discussing in the Temple. At night, He would leave the city, cross the Kidron, and withdraw to the Mount of Olives (Bethany/Gethsemani) and that Monday He cursed the fig tree which had leaves but no fruit, referring the the lack of interior spirit of the people of those times. Tuesday of Holy Week This was the day of great disputations -- a busy, stormy day of public debates with the scribes and ancients. They challenged the authority of Our Lord... Our Lord told the thinly-veiled parable of the vine dressers... He answered the question of tribute to Caesar... the case presented by the Sadducees about the woman with seven husbands and the resurrection... the Greatest Commandment .... Our Lord questioned them about the "Son of David." He concluded the debates with a denunciation of the Pharisees and the "Seven Woes," expressed an anguished lament over Jerusalem, and commented on the widow's mite. Leaving the city, He crossed over to Mt. Olivet and sadly predicted that there would be left "not a stone upon a stone." Asked about the end of Jerusalem and the world He gave the eschatological discourse, and told the parable of the virgins to teach watchfulness. Wednesday of Holy Week This was probably the day when Judas made his onerous arrangements with the Jewish authorities, selling out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. And then, we come to Holy Thursday. The day was a busy one with the preparation for the Passover. A room had to be reserved where the Passover meal could be taken. The Upper Room was selected. At evening, they came together and sat down for this meal. Our Lord washed the feet of the Apostles, and toward the end of the meal, the Last Supper, Judas identified as the traitor, left. Our Lord instituted the Blessed Sacrament, the very same we commemorate in every Holy Mass, as His eternal memorial. After the supper, they all accompanied Jesus to Gethsemani, where the Agony in the Garden began. Good Friday It was after midnight already when Judas and the soldiers approached Jesus to arrest Him. He was taken to Annas, to be arrested, and then to the High Priest, Caiaphas, who investigated Him with some other members of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest repeatedly asked Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. And we know from Holy Scripture that Jesus answered in the affirmative and that all present screamed "Blasphemy" and that He should be put to death. Pontius Pilate, did not find Jesus guilty (Mark 15:14) and suggested He should be let go. But the people screamed "Crucify Him!" So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the King of Galilee, and it was there that He was scourged. This happened during the morning hours of Good Friday. Around Noon, Jesus was handed over to the people and he was crucified and died around 3 P.M. The body was then removed from the Cross and placed in a nearby tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea. In ancient times criminals were executed by crucifixion. This was a relatively common punishment. The idea was to have criminals suffer terribly, long, and very much in public. After the scourging, Jesus was all bloody with torn flesh and terrible wounds. The procession of death moved through the city streets, up the hill and throughout this trip, Jesus had to carry a heavy wooden Cross. A strong man, named Simon of Cyrene, was ordered to help Jesus as He fell repeatedly under the weight of the heavy Cross as he carried it along. Then he was nailed to the Cross with big spikes through his hands and feet. The pain of literally hanging from one's hands, while the flesh tore, as the Cross was sat upright with force, must have been excruciating. Normally, one crucified would die after a while, then hang up to five days before death would take over, and then the remains would be left decaying on the cross, providing carrion food for the birds. But in the case of Jesus, special permission was given to remove and bury the Body. In this way, Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried for us, sinners. This reflection is based on a paper found on the website of Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS, USA http://www.scborromeo.org/papers/holyweek.PDF Fred Schaeffer, SFO March 27, 2010

The first Holy Week ... when Jesus Christ was with us in his humanity, was the most important week in His life, and is the most important in our life as well. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, and this week should be for us, a time of prayer and meditation as we try to place ourselves through Scripture reading in that special week so long ago.

Christ's Passion took place in Jerusalem, a city in Palestine. Some people might say Jerusalem is in Israel, but factually it is in Palestine. We're talking of a week in the year 30 A.D. during Passover week, from the 9th to the 16th of the Jewish month Nisan (March-April), a time when the city was crowded with visitors. At that time, in history, Israel was under Roman rule. The Roman Governor was Pontius Pilate. The High Priest was Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin consisted of 70 elders. Galilee was the region in the north of Palestine where Herod was king.

Palm Sunday

Jesus was aware of the attitudes of the authorities against him. But Jesus moved around without fear, very openly, from Bethany to Jerusalem (circa 2 miles apart). Bethany was the home of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, as well as that of Simon the Leper. Jesus is reported to have lodged there after his entry into Jerusalem, and it was from Bethany that he parted from his disciples at the Ascension. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which Jesus begins near Bethany is found in Mark 11:1 and Luke 19:29. The lodging of Jesus in Bethany during the following week in Matthew 21:17 and Mark 11:11-12.

As Jesus travelled, he rode on a donkey, provided beforehand by his disciples. With his followers, he entered Jerusalem in a triumphal procession.

Monday of Holy Week

Jesus was busy after His entry in Jerusalem, he would come into the city in the morning, and he taught the people, discussing in the Temple. At night, He would leave the city, cross the Kidron, and withdraw to the Mount of Olives (Bethany/Gethsemani) and that Monday He cursed the fig tree which had leaves but no fruit, referring the the lack of interior spirit of the people of those times.

Tuesday of Holy Week

This was the day of great disputations -- a busy, stormy day of public debates with the scribes and ancients. They challenged the authority of Our Lord... Our Lord told the thinly-veiled parable of the vine dressers... He answered the question of tribute to Caesar... the case presented by the Sadducees about the woman with seven husbands and the resurrection... the Greatest Commandment .... Our Lord questioned them about the "Son of David." He concluded the debates with a denunciation of the Pharisees and the "Seven Woes," expressed an anguished lament over Jerusalem, and commented on the widow's mite. Leaving the city, He crossed over to Mt. Olivet and sadly predicted that there would be left "not a stone upon a stone." Asked about the end of Jerusalem and the world He gave the eschatological discourse, and told the parable of the virgins to teach watchfulness.

Wednesday of Holy Week

This was probably the day when Judas made his onerous arrangements with the Jewish authorities, selling out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

And then, we come to Holy Thursday. The day was a busy one with the preparation for the Passover. A room had to be reserved where the Passover meal could be taken. The Upper Room was selected. At evening, they came together and sat down for this meal. Our Lord washed the feet of the Apostles, and toward the end of the meal, the Last Supper, Judas identified as the traitor, left. Our Lord instituted the Blessed Sacrament, the very same we commemorate in every Holy Mass, as His eternal memorial. After the supper, they all accompanied Jesus to Gethsemani, where the Agony in the Garden began.

Good Friday

It was after midnight already when Judas and the soldiers approached Jesus to arrest Him. He was taken to Annas, to be arrested, and then to the High Priest, Caiaphas, who investigated Him with some other members of the Sanhedrin. The High Priest repeatedly asked Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. And we know from Holy Scripture that Jesus answered in the affirmative and that all present screamed "Blasphemy" and that He should be put to death.

Pontius Pilate, did not find Jesus guilty (Mark 15:14) and suggested He should be let go. But the people screamed "Crucify Him!" So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the King of Galilee, and it was there that He was scourged. This happened during the morning hours of Good Friday. Around Noon, Jesus was handed over to the people and he was crucified and died around 3 P.M. The body was then removed from the Cross and placed in a nearby tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea.

In ancient times criminals were executed by crucifixion. This was a relatively common punishment. The idea was to have criminals suffer terribly, long, and very much in public. After the scourging, Jesus was all bloody with torn flesh and terrible wounds. The procession of death moved through the city streets, up the hill and throughout this trip, Jesus had to carry a heavy wooden Cross. A strong man, named Simon of Cyrene, was ordered to help Jesus as He fell repeatedly under the weight of the heavy Cross as he carried it along. Then he was nailed to the Cross with big spikes through his hands and feet. The pain of literally hanging from one's hands, while the flesh tore, as the Cross was sat upright with force, must have been excruciating.

Normally, one crucified would die after a while, then hang up to five days before death would take over, and then the remains would be left decaying on the cross, providing carrion food for the birds. But in the case of Jesus, special permission was given to remove and bury the Body. In this way, Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried for us, sinners.

This reflection is based on a paper found on the website of
Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS, USA http://www.scborromeo.org/papers/holyweek.PDF

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
March 27, 2010