March 20, 2005

If you are as old as I am, Holy Week brings back many happy memories. In the old days, as we called them, Catholic families were very involved in the life of the Church and the worship of God in Holy Week. Without even discussing it, we knew we would go to church on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Things were arranged differently back then. On Holy Thursday great crowds visited the seven churches, if you lived in the city. In some places, like Boston, there was only one-way pedestrian traffic on streets, as police tried to control the crowds going in and out of churches. On Good Friday there were always solemn services, including the adoration of the Cross. At some of the older churches with many immigrant parishioners, people came up the aisle on their knees; if you couldn’t get to the Good Friday services, you went to Stations of the Cross in the evening. Unfortunately, Holy Saturday was a bit of a lost cause. The altar boys and the priests and a few elderly ladies would gather at six o’clock Saturday morning for the Easter Vigil. It was done at record speed because there were many very long readings. Since the new fire was supposed to be struck with flint and steel, they used cigarette lighters. This is a detail never to be forgotten. There was nothing Saturday evening, but there were solemn Masses Sunday morning, which were very beautiful and always had singing.
The very positive reform of the Holy Week Liturgy in the 1950s, which had nothing to do with the Second Vatican Council, has done many good things. Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday (the Easter Vigil) are both much more solemnly observed. Personally, I think that the present Good Friday services are rather disastrous. They celebrate the Triumph of the Cross, which is supposed to be commemorated on September 14. When we went to Good Friday services long ago, we came away feeling we had been to Calvary. Many people will go to Good Friday services this year with vivid scenes from The Passion of the Christ in mind. I am sponsoring a showing of that moving film at Most Holy Trinity Church in Mamaroneck, N.Y., at 12:00 Noon on Good Friday. You are welcome to come. It will be followed by a meditation and then the Good Friday services.
Catholics should make every effort, in the present as in the past, to observe Holy Week as best they can and to participate in the memorial of this most important part of the Our Savior’s life. Sincere participation in all aspects of the Holy Week liturgy renews our faith, gives us much to think about, and reminds us that we are not here on earth for good — something we should never forget.
We must also never forget that Holy Week leads us inevitably to the pinnacle of all our observance: the joy of Easter Sunday and the sure hope of sharing one day in the Resurrection of the Lord.

— Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
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