Holy Week
Lenten Highlights, Readings and Resources for Your Family this Holy Week
The Easter Triduum
The Easter Triduum is the service within Western liturgical churches that starts Maundy Thursday evening and continues through to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. While it spans three separate days, the Triduum is all one service (hence why there is no sendoff at the end of the evening of Thursday or Friday). Within these services, we come together to participate in remembering and reliving the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Maundy Thursday is unique in that it is the service where we wash each other’s feet, just as Jesus washed the Apostle’s feet at the Passover meal. We celebrate the Eucharist, as this is also the evening that Jesus instituted this practice for the Church. At the end of the evening, we strip the altar and cover the cross with a black veil, signifying Christ’s death.
Good Friday begins with a silent entry procession and includes the veneration of the cross, which is a processional where at three stops, the priest declares “behold, the Wood of the Cross, upon which was hung the world’s Salvation.” The congregation will then respond, “oh come, let us adore him.” It is important to remember that within this service, we are not just remembering Christ’s death as a past event, but also are reliving it as a present event within the Church.
Holy Saturday’s Easter Vigil is a far more joyous service. It includes the preparation and lighting of the Paschal candle, and the reading of the twelve lessons recapping the story of redemption from the beginning of the world. This service draws to a close with the relighting of the building, the redecorating of the altar, and the clamorous ringing of bells to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on the third day, conquering death and sin.
If you would like to read through and discuss each of the twelve readings as part of your Holy Week with your family, check out my $2.00 resource on Etsy!
Use the hymn of the week, memory verse, and catechism question from my Palm Sunday article.
Morning and Evening Prayer
IN THE MORNING
OPENING SCRIPTURE
Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brough upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger. LAMENTATIONS 1:12
PSALM OF THE DAY
Maundy Thursday – Ps 78:15-26
Good Friday – Ps 22:1-11
Holy Saturday – Ps 130
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
A READING FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE
Maundy Thursday – 1 Cor 11:23-26
Good Friday – Heb 10:1-25
Holy Saturday – 1 Pet 4:1-8
THE LORD’S PRAYER is said aloud by all who are present.
THE COLLECT FOR MAUNDY THURSDAY
Almighty Father, whose most dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it in thankful remembrance of Jesus Christ our Savior, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER FOR GOOD FRIDAY
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, Cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; peace and rest to the dead; to your holy Church unity and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE COLLECT FOR HOLY SATURDAY
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
IN THE EVENING
OPENING SCRIPTURE
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one tohis own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ISAIAH 53:6
PSALM OF THE DAY
Maundy Thursday – Ps 78:15-26
Good Friday – Ps 40:1-16
Holy Saturday – Ps 31:1-6
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
A READING FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE
Maundy Thursday – John 13:1-15
Good Friday – John (18:1-40) 19:1-37
Holy Saturday – Matt 27:57-66
THE LORD’S PRAYER is said aloud by all who are present.
THE COLLECT FOR MAUNDY THURSDAY
Almighty Father, whose most dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it in thankful remembrance of Jesus Christ our Savior, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER FOR GOOD FRIDAY
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, Cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; peace and rest to the dead; to your holy Church unity and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE COLLECT FOR HOLY SATURDAY
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.