Easter is a season to celebrate, as Jesus was raised from the dead. The preparation for this begins on Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent – a 40-day period leading up to Holy Week. Easter is the central liturgical season in the Church’s year. Below are some of the most significant events in its preparation.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday is celebrated to begin the 40 days of Lent and the Easter period. It is a time of reflection, prayer, penance and fasting, leading up to Holy Week. It is common for Christians to receive a cross of ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday, as they symbolise sorrow for sin and serve as a reminder for our mortality. It is a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. Palms are burnt from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. On this day, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. In a sign on honour, people laid palm branches and their cloaks on the path as Jesus came through, whilst shouting ‘Hosanna!’ It is both a celebration and a reminder of what’s to come.
HOLY THURSDAY
The first day of the Easter Triduum, also known as Maundy Thursday, commemorates the institution of the Eucharist. This day commemorates the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples, and in a powerful act of service and humility, washed his disciples’ feet. During the Holy Thursday ceremony, the celebrant moves the consecrated hosts to the Altar of Repose (a temporary alter used during Holy Week). The congregation is invited to worship the Blessed Sacrament until midnight, before it is placed in the repository.
GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is the most solemn day in the liturgical year and is also the only day when there is no celebration of the Eucharist, as a sign of mourning. Although it is a day of mourning, it is called ‘Good’ Friday as it led to the Resurrection of Jesus, the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. On this day, Catholics reenact the Stations of the Cross, to reflect on the suffering, death, and crucifixion of Jesus.EASTER SUNDAY
Easter Sunday is the most important day in the liturgical calendar as it celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection. Three days after his crucifixion, his tomb was found with the stone rolled away. This confirms Jesus’ victory over death and his identity as the Son of God.
LENT AND EASTER PRIMARY UNITS
- Kindergarten: Unit 6
- Stage One: Unit 15, Unit 23
- Stage Two: Unit 31, Unit 39
- Stage Three: Unit 47, Unit 55
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