Although we often run through the motions without thinking, finally in the homestretch of lent, it is important to remember the significance of Holy Week. Holy Week is a very sacred time of the liturgical year.

Holy Week 2024 commences on March 24^th with the blessed celebration of Palm Sunday.  On Palm Sunday, most Catholic churches distribute dried and blessed palm leaves which symbolize those which the Jews placed before Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. These palm leaves are often burned for Ash Wednesday of the next year. The next two days are referred to as Holy Monday and Shrove Tuesday. On these days there is no obligation to attend mass either day. Spy Wednesday represents the idea that Jesus was betrayed by Judas, who acted as a ‘spy’ informing others of His whereabouts. Holy Thursday, on the other hand is not a holy day of obligation but is a mass to which all Catholics are encouraged to come and worship the first day of the holy triduum. On this day, thousands of years ago, the last supper brought the apostles together for the last time before Jesus’s crucifixion. Jesus said to them the words which are repeated each mass preceding communion: “Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins…Drink of it, all of you: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.” The altar is left bare following Holy Thursday mass, so that Jesus’s absence on Good Friday is made evident. Good Friday mass is meant to be the most somber of the liturgical year, with dimmer lighting, little decoration, and of course, no paschal candle. The day to follow, Holy Saturday, is a day of quiet reflection and patient anticipation. Finally, Easter ends Holy week; a joyous celebration of Jesus’s ascension into heaven following His hardship in the desert and sorrows throughout Holy Week. Many celebrate by attending mass on Easter Sunday and sharing in a meal with friends and family.

This ‘Spy Wednesday’ there will be an all-school prayer service, kicking off our Easter vacations! Here at the Gateway, we sincerely wish everyone a relaxing spring break! See you all on April 8^th!