During Holy Week, our liturgies relive the events of Christ’s last week on earth, beginning with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Passion Sunday. At sundown on Holy Thursday, Lent ends and the three sacred days of the Triduum begin. The Triduum is at the very heart of our beliefs and the high point of the liturgical year.



Holy Thursday, the first day of the Triduum, commemorates the origins of the Eucharist. On the night before he died, Jesus took bread and wine, blessed them, and gave them to his friends. The bread and wine were no longer gifts of the earth; they were now the gifts of his own Body and Blood. On the evening of Holy Thursday, we recall Jesus’ great love for us and his presence with us always in the Eucharist. In this sacrament, we will always have the intimate presence of God’s own Son.

Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, Jesus comes to us as our spiritual food, sustaining us and nurturing us to carry out his mission on earth. Catholics believe that Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is his real presence as the Bread of Life.

Family Activity

	Read aloud the Scripture story of Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem. (Luke 19:28-38) Or, tell the story in your own words.

	•		Read or tell the story slowly and dramatically, allowing family members to place themselves in the story as they listen.
	•		If time and circumstances allow, take a short spring walk together remembering Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Notice all the signs of new life around them.

See the Liturgical Calendar on this site for additional information.
See also Catechist—Lent or Teacher—Lent for Liturgy.