Special week of nourishment

Mar 31, 2010, 12.00am IST
SUMIT DHANRAJ.

A month ago, with Spring in the air, Christians began the Lenten Season in spiritual earnest.

This was a 40-day period of spiritual preparation for Easter that typically includes fasting, penance and prayer. Like every year the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, which this year was on February 17. It will end with Holy Saturday, that is, a day after Good Friday this week.

Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday starts with Palm Sunday. It recalls Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before His crucifixion. Holy Monday commemorates Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, when he dealt with moneychangers and other commercial agents who had tables there. Some believe that this triggered his arrest and subsequent crucifixion.


Holy Tuesday recalls Jesus’ description to his disciples on the Mount of Olives of the destruction of Jerusalem. Holy Wednesday, once called Spy Wednesday, recalls Judas’ decision to betray Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus agony in the garden and his arrest. “Maundy” is derived from the Latin “mandatum” (commandment of God in John 13:34-35), “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” For centuries, people in authority have washed the feet of their followers on this day, as a sign of loving remembrance of Jesus.


Good Friday recalls Jesus’ death on the cross. Some claim that `good’ is a corruption of the word `God’ and that early Christians called this day “God’s Friday.” `God’ morphed into `good’ just as “God be with you” has become “goodbye.” Others claim that “good” refers to the blessings of humanity that Christians believe arose as a result of Jesus’ execution. A fourth-century church manual, the Apostolic Constitutions, called Good Friday a ‘day of mourning, not a day of festive Joy.’ Ambrose, the fourth-century archbishop who befriended the notorious sinner Augustine of Hippo before his conversion, called it the ‘day of bitterness on which we fast’.”

Holy Saturday (on Easter Eve) is the final day of Holy Week and of Lent. On Easter Sunday Christians commemorate Jesus’ resurrection. In the early church, converts were baptised into church membership on this day after a lengthy period of instruction. This tradition continues today in some churches.

The Holy Week emphasises specially on the lessons for all during this time of spiritual nourishment, which stresses more on the attitude with which Lenten exercises must be observed rather than strict adherence to details. For Jesus knew that there is a human tendency to make a show of one’s piety and good deeds.

Therefore, during this week the call for every follower of Jesus is to observe faithfully the statutes and teachings of the Church without making spiritual exercises a matter of public show. Instead of acting as hypocrites, with a sad countenance, the time is to genuinely repent and ask pardon for one’s shortcomings with an open gesture of charitable deeds.


Christians believe that spiritual nourishment during the Holy Week will help them achieve the gifts of new life in the days to come with resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

The writer is a missionary of the Society of the Divine Word.