All the weeks of our lives are thought to be sacred because God’s presence permeates every moment of our existence. Yet, only one week of the church year is designated as Holy Week. During this sacred week the Church recalls the final events in Jesus’ life, which won us victory over sin and eternal death.



Beginning with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, we accompany Jesus through the events that seem at first like terrible failures, only later to rise with him to new life. We find ourselves in the Palm, or Passion, Sunday crowd, cheering Jesus as our King.

Soon, however, the Last Supper is upon us, and we are learning lessons that will help us carry on the work begun by Jesus. It is then the next day, Good Friday. What can be good about the day on which Jesus dies an agonizing death on a cross? Everything, but we don’t see the new life quite yet. So we wait through the hours of entombment on Holy Saturday.

Holy Week culminates at last in Easter joy. Jesus is not dead. He is alive and will live forever. Through his sacrifice of love, we will live with him in the kingdom of God for all eternity.

Family Activity

	Consider together how the events of Holy Week might appear to a person who is not Christian.

	•		Discuss how you might explain to someone of another religious tradition or to someone who has no religious tradition what Holy Week means for Christians.
	•		Write letters to an imaginary person, describing what takes place on each day of Holy Week and the events that are recalled on each of those days.

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