A brief explanation of certain days associated with the week preceding Easter

1. HOLY WEEK
2016
Brett Provance

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

3. Maundy Thursday
 Traceable to the fourth century
 Emphasis in 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

4. 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), celebrated by people of the Jewish faith
 Good Friday among Christians is recognized by fasting

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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. 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 [= “universal”] church,
 The communion of saints,
 The forgiveness of sins,
 The resurrection of the body,
 And the life everlasting. Amen.