Question 167: What is Holy Week?

Answer:

Holy Week is the final week of Lent, during which the Church remembers and enters into the suffering, death, and triumph of Jesus Christ. It begins with Palm Sunday and leads to the Last Supper, the Cross, and the tomb. Through Scripture, prayer, and worship, we walk with Christ from His entry into Jerusalem to His passion and burial, preparing our hearts for the joy of His resurrection. (Matthew 21:8–9, Luke 22:19–20, John 19:16–18, Romans 5:8)

Full Scripture References

“A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” — Matthew 21:8–9 (BSB)

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’” — Luke 22:19–20 (BSB)

“So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called The Place of the Skull (which in Hebrew is called Golgotha). There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.” — John 19:16–18 (BSB)

“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (BSB)

Expanded Explanation of Catechism Question

Holy Week is the most solemn and sacred week of the Christian year. It begins on Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and culminates in the events of the Passion—His Last Supper, betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and burial. Through this week, the Church slows down to walk with Christ, meditate on His suffering, and prepare to celebrate the glory of His resurrection.

The purpose of Holy Week is not only remembrance, but participation. Through Scripture readings, processions, liturgies, and prayers, believers are invited to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s cross. It is a time of repentance, humility, and renewed devotion.

Canon Dr. Joel Scandrett (Trinity School for Ministry) writes, “Holy Week is the Church’s journey into the heart of the Gospel. We do not rush to Easter—we pass through Gethsemane and Golgotha, because Christ passed through them for us.”

Bishop Stewart Ruch (Diocese of the Upper Midwest, ACNA) explains, “This is the week when the veil is torn. We see Christ’s love laid bare in agony and glory. Holy Week teaches us how to suffer, how to hope, and how to follow Him to the cross.”

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer provides Scripture readings and collects for each day of Holy Week, especially emphasizing the Passion narratives. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist; Good Friday remembers Christ’s crucifixion and death; Holy Saturday recalls the stillness of the tomb and the descent of Christ to the dead.

J.C. Ryle said, “No week in all the year ought to mean so much to the believer as Holy Week. Let us mark it with prayer and self-examination, for it reminds us what it cost our Lord to redeem us.” (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856)

Archbishop Foley Beach (ACNA) affirms, “In Holy Week, the Church tells the old, old story again—but not as history alone. We enter it. We remember. We bow. And we come to Easter with hearts shaped by the cross.”

Holy Week glorifies Christ by proclaiming the depth of His suffering, the breadth of His love, and the power of His sacrifice. It prepares the Church not just to celebrate Easter, but to be changed by it.

Early Church Fathers on Catechism Question

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD): “We do not merely recount His sufferings—we take up our cross and follow. Holy Week is not a story to hear but a road to walk.” — Catechetical Lectures, 13.22

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD): “Let us keep these days not with outward show, but with inward devotion. The Lord’s Passion is our peace, our healing, our life.” — Sermon 218

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 AD): “Let none be a mere spectator. Let all become partakers in the mystery of the cross. This week, heaven and earth meet at Calvary.” — Homily on Matthew, 86

St. Leo the Great (c. 400–461 AD): “In Holy Week, we remember that the King of glory triumphed through weakness, that death was conquered through death, and that the cross has become the throne of grace.” — Sermon 55, On the Passion