Name:   MartiniMan - Subject:   Holy Week is here Date:   4/15/2014 9:37:11 AM

After 40 plus days of Lent it is finally Holy Week and as much as I am looking forward to Easter Sunday (and the end of my Lenten sacrifices) I will also miss the extra reminder of the greatest sacrifice ever made.  In the Catholic Church the Easter Triduum begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord's Supper and at our Parish a Seder Supper which is essentially the Passover meal celebrated by our Jewish brethren. The Mass of the Lord's Supper is a beautiful and solemn event where the altar is stripped of all its finery, the Tabernacle is emptied and everyone leaves the darkened Church in silence.  Then on Good Friday we have the Seven Last Words on a day of fasting and prayer as we contemplate the ultimate sacrfice.  Our family tradition that evening is to watch the Passion of the Christ (before that we watched the version of Jesus of Nazareth that covered the crucifixion).  Some years we attend the Easter Vigil on Saturday night which is a two hour mass where many converts enter the Church which is a beautiful liturgy.  Then the celebration begins on Easter Sunday as we contemplate the resurrection.  And if we we don't attend the vigil mass we go to Easter Sunday mass to see all the C&E Catholics 

I hope everyone has a blessed Easter week however you mark the occasion.