Thomas WheelerWar, Justice and Peace: Christian Attitudes to Peace

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Holy Week and Easter Sunday

The aim of this coursework is to examine the important days of Holy Week, Palm
Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We must include what
the festival is a celebration of (what happened originally), including Bible references
if possible, the way it is celebrated in church, and why each day is significant for
Christians, explaining its meaning.

Holy Week is the name given to the last week of Lent, which is also the last week
before Jesus’ crucifixion. This year (2009), Holy Week began on April 5th, and ended
on April 11th, meaning that Easter Sunday was on April 12th. Easter Sunday is the day
that Jesus rose from the dead, after His crucifixion.

Passion Sunday, also known as Palm Sunday, is the day that Jesus entered
Jerusalem, on a donkey, a symbol of peace, which He had used in order to fulfil what
was spoken through the prophet, "See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on
a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey". As He rode in on the donkey, a large crowd
appeared, some of which spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches
from the trees and spread them on the road, all of them shouting, "Hosanna to the
Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest!”. These people recognised Him as the “King of the Jews”, and this was still
a new experience for Jesus, who was being truly recognised for who He really was
by a large crowd of people, after three years of being homeless, facing much abuse,
loneliness, and rejection. However, we can see from this passage, “So the Pharisees
said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has
gone after Him!’ ", that the leaders of the time were outraged at the influence that
Jesus seemed to have on the people, seeing Him as a threat to the throne. As a
result, they began plotting Jesus’ death.

Christians will often use the story of Passion Sunday as a help to get people to think
about the strength of their own commitment to their faith. They might also be asked
to think about the times that they have been unfaithful to Christ, or the times where
they had been hypocritical in proclaiming their support.

Passion Sunday is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church by having palm

branches, reminding us of how they were used as what we would now refer to as a
“red carpet”, to worship Jesus, blessed outside the church. Many members of the
congregation also use small crosses, made of palm leaf, as a substitute for the
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branches, so they too can also remember their original use, but also to remind us of
how, a week later, Jesus died on the cross. These crosses are often displayed in
Christians’ homes throughout the year as a symbol of their faith, but the crosses are
burned at the start of Lent the next year, in order for them to be used during Ash
Wednesday. The palm branches are considered to be sacramentals in the Roman
Catholic Church. The vestments that the priest wears are deep scarlet red, the
colour of blood, representing the great sacrifice that Jesus planned to fulfil in a
week’s time. During the Mass, everyone takes part in proclaiming the story of the
Passion of Jesus. A person from the congregation acts as the narrator, telling the
story, the priest takes the role of Jesus, while another reader takes the other
speaking roles. The rest of the congregation speak the words of the crowd.

The next main day of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday.
The word “Maundy” comes from the command (mandate) given by Jesus at the Last
Supper - that we should love one another. Maundy Thursday is known for being the
last time that Jesus ate with His disciples, known as The Last Supper, as well as
where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and established the ceremony known
as the Eucharist.

Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples in a small room that they rented for
the night. Jesus did more than just share a meal with His followers, however, as He
left them with several last teachings. The first concerned the meaning of His
upcoming death, although Jesus gave them this teaching in a symbolic way. He took
bread, asked for God’s blessing, and broke it, distributing it among His disciples. He
told Him that the bread was His body. Then He passed them a cup of wine, referring
to it as His blood, and asked them to drink it. After this, Jesus demonstrated the kind
of love and service He wanted His disciples to offer one another by washing their
feet. Peter at first refused to have His feet washed, but when Jesus said that it would
mean Peter would be no part of Jesus if He didn’t have His feet washed, Peter told
Jesus to not only wash His feet, but His hands and head.

After Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover and last meal together,
they went to the Garden of Gethsemane. At some point, Jesus took three of them -
Peter, James and John, to a place separated from the rest. Here Jesus asked them
to watch with Him and pray so they would not fall into temptation, but they fell
asleep. Twice Jesus had to wake them and remind them to pray so that they would
not fall into temptation. This was especially poignant because Peter did indeed fall
into temptation later that very night when three times He denied even knowing
Jesus. Jesus moved a little way from the three men to pray, and twice He asked His
Father to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but each time He
submitted to the Father’s will. He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death,” but God
sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him.
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After this, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, arrived with a “multitude” of soldiers, high
priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Him by the
prearranged signal of a kiss which He gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter
took a sword and attacked a man named Malthus, the servant of the high priest,
cutting off His ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and miraculously healed the man’s ear.

In keeping with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the early Christians
interpreted Jesus' words and deeds at the Last Supper in terms of the Passover
themes of sacrifice, redemption, and salvation. They also identified Jesus’ death as a
sacrifice made for their sakes in order to cleanse them of their sins and open the
door to a new kind of relationship with God. They created a ceremony called the
Eucharist as a way of commemorating Jesus’ sacrifice and as a way of inviting
others to participate in the bread and wine of the Last Supper. The Eucharist became
the most important ritual in Christian communal worship, as we take the bread and
wine, now consecrated to become the body and blood of Jesus, in memory of Jesus
and the Last Supper.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the service includes a part where the priest washes
the feet of twelve people to commemorate Jesus' washing the feet of His disciples.
Maundy Thursday is also usually the day on which the supply of anointing oil to be
used in ceremonies during the year is consecrated. This is done at a special Chrism
Mass. Roman Catholics have long maintained a tradition whereby a portion of the
Eucharist prepared on Maundy Thursday is venerated and preserved for use on the
following day, as there is no Mass on Good Friday. At the end of the mass the priest
reverently placed the consecrated host in a special container. A solemn procession
followed, to a specially decorated corner of the church, called a “repository” or the
“altar of repose," where the container would be displayed.

In some churches the altar is ceremonially stripped of all its cloth coverings at the
end of Maundy Thursday services. Other cloth hangings are also removed, which
leaves the church with a stark appearance. This stripping leaves the church with a
stark appearance, thus preparing it for the mournful services that take place the
following day on Good Friday.

Holy oil that will be used in the coming year is blessed at a special service on
Maundy Thursday. Clergy members use this oil for special religious services,
including baptisms, confirmations, ordinations, and for anointing the dying and those
in ill health. In Roman Catholic churches, the priest or other clergy members wash
the feet of twelve members of the congregation. The ritual offers participants the
opportunity to give and receive the kind of humble love and service that Jesus gave
to His followers.
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The most important Christian events in the church year is Jesus’ death and
resurrection. Good Friday is the day celebrated for Jesus’ death and sacrifice for us.

After Jesus was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was sent to the High
Priest to be judged. Jesus was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death
through crucifixion. Pontius Pilate questions Jesus, finding Him innocent. As it was
the Jewish feast of Passover, and it was customary to allow a prisoner free, Pontius
Pilate offered the Jews either Jesus or Barabbas, a murderer, to be released. They
chose Barabbas over Jesus, which resulted in Pilate questioning Jesus once more.
After still finding Him innocent, and after His wife tells Him to, “have nothing to do
with this righteous man”, Pilate handed over Jesus to the Jews, washing His hands
of any involvement with Jesus’ death.

Jesus then carries His own cross, with help from Simon of Cyrene, to the place of
execution, known as the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha”. There, Jesus was crucified
alongside two criminals. Jesus agonizes on the cross for six hours. During His last 3
hours on the cross, from noon to 3pm, there is darkness over the whole land. With a
loud cry, Jesus gives up His spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and
the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the
site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!"

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who
had not consented to His condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.
Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus
brought about a hundred pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body
of Christ. Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead. A
soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out,
and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead. They rolled a large rock over the
entrance of the tomb where they had laid Jesus to rest.

Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services
Christians meditate on Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and what this means
for their faith. The altar remains completely bare, without cross, candlesticks or altar
cloths. It is customary to empty the holy water fonts in preparation of the blessing of
the water at the Easter Vigil.

The main service on Good Friday takes place between midday and 3pm, as this is
the hour that Jesus died. In many churches it takes the form of a meditation based
on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, with hymns, prayers, and short
sermons. It may also include the Holy Communion that was consecrated on Maundy
Thursday, the day before.

The Liturgy of the Word, consists of the reading or chanting of Isaiah 52:13-53:12,
Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, and the Passion account from the Gospel of John, which is
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often divided between more than one singer or reader. This part concludes with a
series of prayers: for the Church, the Pope, the clergy and laity of the Church, those
preparing for baptism, the unity of Christians, the Jewish people, those who do not
believe in Christ, those who do not believe in God, those in public office, those in
special need.

In some churches, a rough wooden cross, covered by a purple cloth, is carried in

slow procession through the church. The priest stops three times during the
procession, each time a removing a part of the cloth, until the last time where the
cross is bare. Worshipers can then offer a sign of adoration such as bowing,
kneeling, touching, or kissing the cross.

Many Churches also offer the Stations of the Cross, also called the "Way of the
Cross," on Good Friday. This is a devotion in which fourteen events surrounding the
death of Jesus are commemorated. Most Catholic Churches have fourteen images
of Jesus' final days displayed throughout the parish, for use in public Stations of the
Cross services.

In spite of the solemnity of Good Friday worship, it is not by any means a funeral
service for Jesus. It is rather a time of quiet and serious contemplation on His great
saving work. Good Friday, along with Ash Wednesday, is an official fast day of the
Catholic Church.

Spiritually, the Passion is the perfect example of suffering, which is one of the
pervasive themes of the Christian religion. Suffering is not the only theme of the
Passion, although some Christians believe that Christ's suffering and the wounds
that He suffered play a great part in redeeming humanity from sin. Another theme is
incarnation - the death of Jesus shows humanity that God had become truly human
and that He was willing to undergo every human suffering, right up to the final agony
of death. Another is obedience - despite initial, and very human, reluctance and fear,
Jesus demonstrates His total acquiescence to God's wishes. But the final theme is
victory - the victory of Christ over death - and this is why the Passion story is
inseparable from the story of the Resurrection.

The last important day is Easter Sunday, which is the day that marks an end to the
period of Lent, and enters the Easter period. On this day, Jesus rose from the dead.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and
Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. They found the
stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of
Jesus. While they were wondering where He had gone, two men in white clothes
appeared, telling them not to be afraid, as Jesus was not here because He had risen
from the dead, just as He said He would.
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When the women went back to tell the disciples, however, they did not believe the
women, as their words seemed like nonsense. But still, Peter ran to the tomb and,
after seeing the neatly folded strips of linen lying by themselves, he himself
wondered what had happened.

That same day, two followers of Jesus were walking along the road to a village called
Emmaus, when Jesus started walking with them, although they did not recognise
Him. As they walked, they talked about Jesus and who he was, his teachings and the
teachings of the Scripture, and they told Jesus of the events that had happened at
the tomb that morning. When they approached the village, the two followers invited
Jesus to stay the night, as it was getting late. He accepted and they sat down to eat
together. During the meal, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began
sharing it with them. It was only then that their eyes were opened and they saw the
man for who He truly was, but it was at that moment that Jesus disappeared before
them. The two followers immediately travelled back to Jerusalem, in order to tell the
rest of the followers all that they had seen.

While the followers discussed this, Jesus appeared once more among them.
Thinking they were seeing a ghost, they were, understandably, startled and
frightened. After convincing His followers that He was truly real, Jesus then
proceeded to open their minds, so that they could understand the Scriptures. Soon
after, Jesus led his disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany. He lifted up his hands and
blessed his followers, but as He did this, He left them and was taken up into Heaven.
The disciples then worshipped Him, returning to the temple of Jerusalem with a great
joy in their hearts, staying there for a long time.

Although Easter Sunday is just one day in the liturgical calendar, in reality
preparations for Easter take place throughout the 40 days of Lent and it plays a
central role in the following 50 days of Pentecost (also known as the Easter season).
Thus, Easter can rightly be regarded as the central day in the entire Christian
calendar.

The Easter festival is kept in many different ways among Western Christians. The
traditional, liturgical observation of Easter, as practised among Roman Catholics and
some Lutherans and Anglicans begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the Easter
Vigil. This, the most important liturgy of the year, begins in total darkness with the
blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of the large Paschal candle (symbolic of the
Risen Christ) and the chanting of the Exultet or Easter Proclamation. After this
service of light, a number of readings from the Old Testament are read; these tell the
stories of creation, the sacrifice of Isaac, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the
foretold coming of the Messiah. This part of the service climaxes with the singing of
the Gloria and the Alleluia and the proclamation of the Gospel of the resurrection. A
sermon may be preached after the gospel. Then the focus moves from the lectern to
the font. Anciently, Easter was considered the ideal time for converts to receive
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baptism, and this practice continues within Roman Catholic churches. Whether there
are baptisms at this point or not, it is traditional for the congregation to renew the
vows of their baptismal faith. This act is often sealed by the sprinkling of the
congregation with holy water from the font.