I am going to bare my feelings here and be totally honest with you, my CDA Sisters. Yesterday was not a good day for me. I was very depressed and extremely tearful because it hit me hard that this will not be the Holy Week that I am used to; one fills me for the Easter Season. I agree with someone on Facebook who stated, “This has been the Lentiest Lent ever.” It has been. And I’m in mourning that we cannot experience Holy Week in the same way as usual; that we cannot partake of Our Lord’s Holy Eucharist in person and experience our church’s deeply spiritual ritual and traditions in the way that we are accustomed to. I am extremely grateful to Father Mark and Father Nelson for their spiritual guidance during this time, for communicating with us and livestreaming the masses.
Last night I had had to reevaluate what kind of Holy Week and Easter I CAN have and what I can do to make it meaningful in spite of these difficult times. For me, it all begins with atmosphere and attitude. I can’t fully participate in a liturgy if I am in my pajamas. I don’t need to dress for church, but I do need to get dressed and get in the mindset of attending mass. We have been putting a crucifix and lit candle on the shelf above our tv while we are watching mass. And of course, our prayer table reflects the current season. These are some ways we are going to celebrate Holy Week in Our Home. Palm Sunday: We will pick up blessed palms from our church. I following the suggestion of many people and will be putting fresh cut greenery tied with a red bow on our door. I have a small plant similar to a palm that will be with our crucifix and candle during mass. We will also be playing liturgical music at the beginning and end of our livestream of the mass and will be pausing the mass at communion to say the spiritual communion prayer. Our prayer table will be dressed in red with a picture of Jesus entering Jerusalem. The saying on it is “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” I will be covering our crucifixes with purple cloth on this day. Holy Thursday: Again, we will have appropriate liturgical music for beginning of mass, washing of feet and probably a version of Pange Lingua at end of mass. I have a picture of the Last Supper that will be on our prayer table, along with our pyx, blessing cup (similar to a chalice), bowl, towel and pitcher. We will be participating in washing each other’s feet at home. After mass, the prayer table will be cleared, except for a red doily and lit candle to signify Christ. Good Friday: We will watch the Stations of the Cross from the Diocese of Singapore on YouTube. The hours of noon to three will be set aside for meditation and prayer. We will live stream the liturgy and participate at home in adoration of the cross using a large crucifix we have. The candle on our prayer place will be blown out at 3 pm, but left there, surrounded by a crown of thorns. Holy Saturday: We are preparing a resurrection garden and a Paschal candle for our home. Before mass, the purple veils will be taken off and a white cloth put on the prayer table. There will be a white drape on our crucifix and flowers on the crown of thorns. Appropriate liturgical music will be played for the liturgy and our home will be in darkness, with the exception of candles. We will fill our holy water font, bless ourselves and celebrate the Light of Christ, Our Risen Lord. I wish you the most blessed Holy Week and Easter, my dear sisters, and look forward to celebrating with you again soon. Until then, God bless you and keep you safe! Resources: Pashal candle and resurrection garden-Pinterest Holy Week at Home-Liturgical Press www.youtube.com/user/CatholicsSg-Diocese of Singapore YouTube channel
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