Holy Week commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday. It includes Maundy Thursday which emphasizes foot washing and communion, Good Friday which recognizes Christ's atoning death, and Holy Saturday with no events until the Easter Vigil. Easter Sunday celebrates Christ's resurrection from the dead as the central message of Christianity. All of these events are encapsulated in the Apostles' Creed.

1. Holy Week
 Palm Sunday through the evening of Holy Saturday
 Commemorates the Passion of Jesus Christ
 Latin passio; cognate to Greek pathos

2. Maundy Thursday
 Traceable to the fourth century
 Emphasis of the Gospel of John on Thursday of Holy
Week:
 Foot washing and the New Commandment to love one another
(Latin mandatum; John 13:4-5, 34), from which we get “Maundy”
 Emphasis of the Synoptic Gospels on Thursday of Holy
Week:
 The Lord’s Supper established
 Thus, Communion (Eucharist) is often celebrated this day
 Greek eucharistia = “thanksgiving”: verb equivalent at 1 Corinthians
11:24: “And when he had given thanks . . . ”; cf. Mark 14:23

3. Good Friday
 The atoning death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world
(John 1:29, 36)
 Christ is the Paschal (Passover) Lamb (cf. 1 Corinthians
5:7; Mark 14:12; Revelation 5:6)
 Passover (Pesach) is currently being celebrated by people of the
Jewish faith
 Recognized with fasting

4. Holy Saturday
 No events until the night
 = Christ in the tomb

5. The Paschal Vigil
 Begins Saturday night
 vigil = night watch
 Ancient set of rituals (from the 2nd century), now
rediscovered in the Western Church
 Concludes with the Baptism of Christian initiates
 And their first Communion

6. Easter Sunday
 The morning Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16;
Matthew 28; Luke 24; John 20; 1 Corinthians 15:5-6)
 Part of the Gospel message: Romans 1:3-4; 6:9; Acts
2:23-24; 4:33; 10:39-41; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

7.  All this encapsulated in The Apostles’ Creed
 Based on the baptismal creed of the ancient Roman
Christians
 Latin credo = “I believe”

8. The Apostles’ Creed
 I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth,
 And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Our Lord,
 Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
 And born of the Virgin Mary.
 He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
 Was crucified, died and was buried.
 He descended into Hell (Greek Hades).
 The third day He rose again from the dead,
 Ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty.
 From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
 I believe in the Holy Spirit,
 The holy catholic church,
 The communion of saints,
 The forgiveness of sins,
 The resurrection of the body,
 And the life everlasting. Amen.