The Holy Week
The Importance of This Week:
The Holy Week, or the Week of Pascha, is the most important and spiritual time of the year. It is a week filled with sacred memories from the most critical stage of salvation and the most important chapter in the story of redemption. The Church has chosen for this week certain readings from both the Old and New Testaments, all deeply moving and expressive of God’s relationship with mankind. It has also selected for it a collection of profound hymns, as well as spiritual meditations and interpretations.
Our holy fathers in the early ages of the Church used to approach this week with awe and reverence, practicing severe asceticism:
They abstained from any sweet-tasting food (even from fasting foods) such as sweets, honey, and jam, for it was not fitting for them to eat anything sweet while remembering the sufferings of the Lord for their sake. Some would not cook anything at all during this week—partly for ascetic reasons and partly so that food preparation would not distract them from worship. Most people ate only bread and salt. Those who were able would fast for several days continuously, abstaining from food from Thursday evening until the hour of breaking the fast on Easter Day.
The asceticism of this week also extended to adornment. Women refrained from wearing jewelry or beautifying themselves.
This week was entirely dedicated to worship. People would leave all their work and gather in the churches throughout the whole time for prayer and meditation.
Christian kings and emperors used to order the suspension of government offices and public services during this week, so that everyone could devote themselves to worship. They even permitted the release of prisoners so that they too might attend the church services of this great week, hoping it would lead to their repentance and correction. Among those who did this was Emperor Theodosius the Great.
Masters would also give their servants a holiday throughout the Week of Pascha, so they would not work but rather worship the Lord. Thus, the spirituality of the masters was not based on depriving their servants; instead, all—masters and servants alike—worshiped the Lord together and shared in the depth and impact of this holy week.
The Rite of This Week:
During Holy Week, the Church concentrates all its feelings solely on the sufferings of Christ, excluding all other subjects. For this reason, the Psalms are omitted from prayers during this week, since they contain many themes, including references to Christ’s birth, ministry, resurrection, ascension, and second coming in glory. But during this week, we desire to focus all our prayers and meditations on one subject only—the Passion of Christ.
The Sequence of Holy Week Events:
All our prayers center on the Passion of Christ, following His steps day by day throughout this week.
Even in our prayers, instead of the Agpeya prayers, the Church prays a special service called The Paschal Praise.
Through this praise, we accompany our Lord Jesus Christ in His sufferings, saying to Him:
“Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty forever. Amen, O Emmanuel our God and our King.”
“Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty forever. Amen.”
Beginning on Wednesday evening, the phrase “My good Savior” is added to the second refrain, because the plotting to betray our Lord began then—the practical step leading to the fulfillment of the work of salvation.
This praise is prayed every hour, both day and night—ten times in all: five during the day and five at night—corresponding to the First, Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Hours. In every prayer, we contemplate our good Savior in His sufferings, saying to Him: “We know who You are—Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty forever. Amen.”
Through this praise, we follow our Lord in all the events of the week preceding His crucifixion. But what are these events, and what is the Church’s position toward them?
How the Sufferings Began:
On Palm Sunday, our Lord Jesus Christ went to Jerusalem, where He was received gloriously by the people as a King, with shouts of praise, palm branches, and songs of joy. They spread their garments under His feet, and the whole city was stirred by His coming (Matthew 21:10). This greatly disturbed the chief priests and the leaders of the people—the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. They envied Him for the great love the people had for Him and began to plot His destruction. Their anger increased when He entered the temple with authority and cleansed it from buying and selling, so they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23). From that time, they seriously began to plan His death, saying among themselves, “Look, the world has gone after Him” (John 12:19).
These rulers wanted to kill Him out of envy. But what was the secret behind the people’s sudden change—from celebrating Him as King to later shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21)?
Perhaps the reason was that Christ refused the earthly kingdom they offered Him, for His Kingdom is spiritual and not of this world. Thus, He disappointed their worldly hopes, which had been expressed when they greeted Him saying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” (Mark 11:9–10). The rulers were able to convince them that their hopes for an earthly kingdom had failed—and therefore, as a reaction, He must be removed!
From then, the plan for His death awaited the opportunity for execution. Therefore, the Church begins the observance of Holy Week immediately after the Palm Sunday Liturgy.
The entire Church is draped in black cloth. The black fabric covers the icons, the Evangeliarium stand, and the church pillars, creating an atmosphere of mourning and grief in participation with our God in His sufferings, as St. Paul the Apostle said: “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).
The General Funeral:
During Holy Week, the Church is preoccupied only with the Passion of Christ and does not offer incense for any other occasion. Therefore, if someone passes away during this week, no special funeral incense is offered for them. Instead, the body is brought to church to attend the Paschal prayers, during which the readings are read over them.
For this reason, a general funeral is held after the Palm Sunday Liturgy for the souls of all those who may pass away during the Holy Week. Water is blessed for this purpose. Some people mistakenly think this water is for blessing the palm branches, but it is actually for the general funeral.
During this prayer, we should stand confessing our sins before God, offering sincere repentance. We do not know how long we shall live… Perhaps these prayers are for us—may God prolong your lives.
After this general funeral and the dismissal of the people, the Church proceeds outside the camp.
Outside the Camp:
According to the Old Testament law, the sin offering was to be burned outside the camp (Leviticus 4:12, 31), because it bore sins and should not defile the camp.
Likewise, Christ, who bore the sins of the whole world, suffered outside the gate, outside the holy city. They considered Him a sinner and took Him outside the camp to crucify Him. St. Paul the Apostle explained this and added:
“Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:12–13).
In Holy Week, the Church, following the Lord in all His steps, also goes outside the camp. Thus, the sanctuary is closed, the veil is drawn, and the Evangeliarium is moved to the second choir. We pray away from the altar—outside the sanctuary—outside the camp, bearing His reproach. We say to Him as we follow Him outside the camp: “Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, and the majesty forever. Amen.”
Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine, Year 6, Issue 17, April 25, 1975
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