Holy Thursday
On Holy Thursday Jesus instituted this sacrament when he took bread and wine and looking up to heaven thanked God, blessed it and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he said “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” In this sacrament we Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ, the bread and wine substantially become his body and blood.
What is the Sacrament of the Eucharist?
Good Friday is a day of somber mourning, as if we were at a wake; we share memories through stories of this culminating event in the life of Jesus.
What is the crucifixion and death of Jesus?
We joyfully sing this, to rejoice in the fact that Jesus triumphed over death. It has not been said or sung for the six weeks of Lent.
What is Alleluia?
The three most sacred days of the liturgical year: It is a season which begins with the Mass on Holy Thursday and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.
What is the Easter Triduum?
The part of the Triduum, a particular Mass that begins with a large fire, which celebrates the greatest moment in salvation history.
What is the Easter Vigil?
On the night before he died Jesus gathered with his friends. He did something that night to teach them and us about humility and service. From Jesus’ actions we learn that we are all called to love and serve one another.
What is the washing of the disciples’ feet?
This is the last part of the Good Friday service. In it we receive the body and blood of Jesus which was consecrated the night before on Holy Thursday. This allows us to be one with Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross.
What is Holy Communion?
In this part of the Mass we hear the lector proclaim the story of salvation history through several Old Testament readings, showing God’s presences in our lives since creation and culminating in the Gospel proclamation of the resurrection by the priest.
What is the Liturgy of the Word?
The Easter Triduum ends this liturgical season in the church year.
What is Lent?
This Roman instrument of torture became a sign of God’s unconditional love for us.
What is the cross?
The readings on Holy Thursday link us today with the Jewish faith Jesus lived. On the night before he died Jesus was preparing for a Jewish celebration that commemorated the Jewish Exodus from slavery of Egypt.
What is the Passover?
On Good Friday we hear the Suffering Servant passage from Isaiah, “… He was arrested and sentenced and led out to die, and no one cared about his fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people…. He willingly gave his life and shared the fate of evil men. He took the place of many sinners and prayed that they might be forgiven.” (Isaiah 53:8 and12) We then participate in reading this from the Gospel of John which tells of Jesus’ trial, suffering and death. This shows Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
What is the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ?
It is carved or marked with the cross, the symbols Alpha and Omega (which mean the beginning and the end), the current year, and marked with the wounds of Christ. It is used during the Easter Season, baptisms, confirmations, and funerals.
What is the Paschal Candle or what is the Easter Candle?
The Triduum is the shortest liturgical season of the year. It is followed by what liturgical season, which ends fifty days later with Pentecost.
What is the Easter Season?
The Church reminds us that we are an Easter people and this should be our song?
What is Alleluia?
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1337, we learn that Jesus instituted another sacrament on the night before he died. Jesus left the apostles a pledge of his love in order never to depart from his own and make them sharers in his Passover; he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return, thus making them priests of the New Testament.
What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
This is the last part of the Liturgy of the Word, where Catholics around the world ask for God’s blessings on the world. Some of the things we pray for are the Church, the Pope, those who don’t believe in God or Jesus, political leaders, the Jewish people.
What are the General Intercessions?
The font is blessed and we renew these ___________ promises that our godparents made for us when we were young. They are a reminder that we accept the saving waters and move from the death of sin to the hope of the resurrection.
What is baptismal or what are our baptismal promises?
These three days are the culmination of all we believe as Catholics.
What is the Easter Triduum, or what is Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday?
The people who have been preparing to become Catholic are fully initiated into the Catholic Church through baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Who are the Catechumens?
At the end of Holy Thursday Mass, this is stripped in silence; it is symbolic of Christ. In times past it represented the stripping of Jesus before his crucifixion. It is the beginning of the mood change from the joy of the Eucharistic celebration to the impending death of Jesus. It begins the hours of waiting with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and watching the final events of Jesus’ life unfold.
What is the stripping of the altar, or what is the altar?
We bow before or kiss the cross to show our gratitude and reverence for Christ’s sacrifice. At this time we also commit ourselves to taking up our own cross as Jesus commanded us to do.
What is adoration (veneration) of the cross?
This, a blazing ritual that begins the Easter Vigil, symbolizes the passage of the Church from dark into light, from sin into redemption, because of the saving action of Christ.
What is the lighting of the fire?
The Mass of Holy Thursday, the rituals of Good Friday, and the Masses of Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday are considered to be one ___________ and are not meant to be experienced as separate events.
What is liturgy?
This is also called the Easter Proclamation. For the first time since Lent began we hear the choir and/or cantors sing of Christ’s resurrection, his defeat of darkness and death:
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!
What is the Exsultet?