holy week

yesterday, being palm sunday (or also known as passion sunday) was the beginning of the holy week according to the catholic calendar. holy week is the last week of lent, the week just before easter sunday. the purpose of holy week is to reenact, relive and participate in the passion of jesus christ through various observances and services of worship.

in our church, we had a short procession (just round the church building) during palm sunday. palms were supplied by a few people who had palm trees and some of those who come for mass brought their own palms plus a few others to be share. a table was placed in front of the church for all these palms to placed, and those who comes to church (without palms) can pick the palms from here. each one have to hold a palms for the blessing and procession.

palm sunday is where we celebrate jesus’ triumphal entry into jerusalem atop a donkey. as he rode on the donkey, people gathered along the road and used palms to wave at him welcoming him, thus the name palm sunday.

after palm sunday, we will celebrate the ‘easter triduum’ (triduum means ‘three), which are:

holy thursday (or maundy thursday) – the institution of communion and the betrayal by judas.
good friday – the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial of jesus Christ.
holy saturday (or easter vigil) – the sabbath on which jesus rested in the grave

for a deeper (more ‘technical’ stuff, you know) of holy week, looking up the catholic encyclopedia at the newadvent website, here they are:
holy week
palm sunday
holy thursday
good friday
holy saturday