Thorns take the shape of a crown.
Popular acclaim turns to public execution.
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Life ends and begins.
Holy Week tells a story like no other, a powerful story of change—a story that continues to change the world, and to change people’s lives.
It’s possible to fast-forward to the great celebration of Easter and hear only the story of joy that came on that resurrection morning. But the impact, indeed the change, is deeper and more powerful when we walk through these holy days together.
- We begin with the power of the triumphal entry with the Liturgy of Palms on Palm Sunday.
- We join the disciples gathered for the last supper on Maundy Thursday and discover something about what it means to serve.
- Come and see for yourself what’s ‘good’ about Good Friday.
- Catch the first rays of hope on Easter Day.
Holy Week celebrations are marked with honesty. The measured pace of the week helps us to absorb the intense meaning of the events being celebrated. Life, of course, cannot be put on hold—but this week, above all others, is an invitation to pause and reflect on the gifts of faith and community.
You can simply attend Palm Sunday and Easter, but you are deeply encouraged to make time to enter deeply into the entirety of the liturgy of Holy Week as described below.
This guide to Holy Week is offered as a way to encourage you to find your own path through these important days.
You may find more than you can ask for or imagine.
Palm Sunday, April 13th
9:30am Holy Trinity
11am All Saints
Liturgy of the Palms and the Passion
Join us in the celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as we process around the church with palms and sing “Hosanna!” Begin the drama of Holy Week as we recount the story of the crowds who welcomed Jesus, only to turn on him a few days later.
Monday of Holy Week, April 14th
10am-4pm – All Saints, Hands-on Holy Week
6pm – All Saints, Eucharist and reflection
Tuesday of Holy Week, April 15th
6pm – All Saints, Eucharist and reflection
Wednesday of Holy Week, April 16th
6pm – All Saints, Eucharist and reflection
Maundy Thursday, April 17th
7pm All Saints
Washing of Feet, Celebration of Eucharist, the Watch
We gather to hear the story of the Last Supper and the giving of the New Commandment to love and serve one another. Anyone who wishes is invited to come forward to have their feet washed as a sign of service. The Holy Eucharist—our weekly memorial of the Last Supper—is celebrated, and then the altars are stripped of their linens and the ornaments of the church are removed, leaving a stark and bare worship space. We are then invited to keep watch:
“Could you not stay awake with me for one hour?”
Maundy Thursday night we remember Christ’s agony as he was betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane. We will keep a watch from 8:30pm until midnight, finishing with compline at 11:45pm. It is common for people to watch for a short time, or to go and come back, some might stay for the whole time. Join us in this longstanding tradition of keeping watch with Christ.
Jesus said to them,
“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow…stay here and keep watch with me.
Good Friday, April 18th
12 Noon – 3pm – Holy Trinity, the three hours
Good Friday is the day we commemorate the death of Jesus. We remember his brutal death on the cross, the humiliating punishment favoured by the Romans for seditious and unsavoury criminals. This liturgy is solemn and penitential, but it is still a celebration because we know that through the cross of Jesus our sins are washed away and we are freed from our guilt. Through the outpouring of the love of Jesus on the cross, we claim our inheritance as children of God. The three hours devotion is broken up into three parts. You are welcome to join at any point.
12pm – Stations of the cross
1pm – Reflections
2pm Liturgy of the Passion of our Lord
Walk with Jesus to the cross using the tradition of the Stations of the Cross, with readings, reflections, and quiet hymns. Spend some time in personal quiet reflection. Join with the liturgy of the day, when we hear again the Passion, Jesus’ suffering and death and give thanks for his love and sacrifice. We leave in silence, broken-hearted because he died for us, but, our broken heats are still full of hope because He Lives.
Holy Saturday, April 19th
The Church waits in silence as Jesus lies in the grave.
Mission Area Easter Vigil, Holy Trinity, 8pm
We join with the Mission Area to celebrate the Ressurection. Beginning with the kindling of the New Fire, from which is lit the Paschal Candle – the sign of the risen Christ. The candle is processed into the church and the ancient Easter proclamation “Exsultet” is chanted. We then recount the story of salvation, remembering how God is at work in human history. The Gospel of the Resurrection is proclaimed and we celebrate Eucharist together, sharing in the new life of the risen Lord.
Easter Sunday, April 20th
9:30am Holy Trinity
11am – All Saints
Easter Sunday – Eucharist of the Resurrection
Easter Day is the greatest celebration in the entire year of the Church: the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and, through God’s raising up of Jesus, the promise of new life for the Creation. In God all things are made new, and we celebrate this with great joy and happiness on the day of Resurrection. After a long season of Lent with no flowers or alleluias, the church is decorated with bright flowers—a sign of the Resurrection—and “Alleluia!” rings out in joyful praise of our God who raised Jesus from the dead.
Mothering Sunday, or Refreshment Sunday are names given to the fourth Sunday of Lent. In the 16th century the practise of returning to the church one was Christened at, or the main church in the area (mother church) began and in the 17th century this expanded with with servants given the day off to visit their families. It developed over time into a time for family reunions and honouring mothers.
Today it is a day of many meanings. It’s a time to honour our mother church, reflect on our love for our earthly mothers, and for some, to celebrate Mary, the mother of Jesus. Lately, it has also become a moment to appreciate the beauty of Mother Earth.
For many, it’s a day filled with love, gratitude, and warmth. Yet, others may find it a little bittersweet, facing a mix of feelings like regret and loneliness. Whatever it means to you, may this day bring a sense of connection and understanding and know that you are held in prayer.
Repent or Perish
1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” 8 He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’
Luke 13.1-9
The Eucharist
Bell tolled
Priest robed
Gospel read
Creed said
All moves in harmony
Harmony of liturgy
But what is that to me?
I cannot look on crucifix or priest,
And the eyes of my friends accuse.
Faltering, I take the Host.
Wormwood and gall I remember
Pulsing life given for me.
I drink wine, red as the blood
That flowed from my Saviour’s side.
Hope renewed
Faith restored
Grace given
Christ received.
Elizabeth Cottrell
Alexandra Cottrell, reflecting on Augustine Hoey, Leaves from the Tree of Heaven
In the Praying with the Bible chapter we find 3 ways of praying with the Bible using Mark 1:46-52 The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus as an example:
- Praying with our Mind
We can use our Mind to think on this story, to let the light of Christ into our lives, to obey God’s will, to answer His call and to dwell on Bartimaeus’ faith. - Praying with the Senses
Thinking about this story I feel a sense of relief, with the breeze on my face , as I stand in the crowd near Bartimaeus. - Repetitive praying
As a contemplative type of person I would use the the phrase ‘Take heart , Get up, He is calling you, from this story
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand’ring from the face of God;
He, to save my soul from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
2
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.
Teach me, Lord, some rapturous measure,
Meet for me Thy grace to prove,
While I sing the countless treasure
Of my God’s unchanging love.
3
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it
With Thy Spirit from above.
Rescued thus from sin and danger,
Purchased by the Savior’s blood,
May I walk on earth a stranger,
As a son and heir of God.
Robert Robinson
The Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ 32 He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed away from Jerusalem.” 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’
Luke 13.31-35
Safe in God’s Love
Let me hold fast to you, beautiful Lord,
whom the angels themselves yearn to look upon.
Wherever you go, I will follow you.
If you pass through fire, I will not flinch,
I fear no evil when you are with me.
You carry my griefs, because you grieve for my sake.
You passed through the narrow doorway from death to life,
to make it wide enough for all to follow.
Nothing can ever now separate me from your love. Amen.
Bernard of Clairvaux
The ‘F’ Words
The World must have FAITH – as it slips into FEAR
Or even the FACTS, it is suffering FAMINE
It’s experiencing FLOODS, But no-one accepts FIRE
That goes with the FIGHTING. FINANCES that FREEZE us,
and evil prevails from the FIENDS that are FAITHLESS,
Blinded by FOOLISHNESS, greed and a FICKLENESS.
Now look at the ‘F’ words that are FEATURED above,
Do they indicate a FUTURE or FAILURE for all,
With media reporting FALSE FEATURES,
that will FREEZE us and cause us to FALL,
Look again everyone for the ‘F’ words are calling,
and look again everyone at the FORECAST for us, and the:-
FLOODS – BUT DROUGHTS,
FAMINES BUT FOOD WASTE,
–
FIRE – BUT COLD THAT IS WARMING THE EARTH,
FIGHTING-WITHOUT GRIEF,
FEAR – BUT ‘WHAT’?
Please, FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS show us your sense and
FIENDS – now open your eyes, and the rich show some FAIRNESS,
That the FACT we are FAILING ourselves and each other
And the WORLD will be ready to give itself up,
And the FOOLS that created the FATE of Creation,
Will no longer gain – with no more FRUITION
The FAITHFUL will triumph – the weak become strong,
and will FOLLOW FOREVER
OUR GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR – THE CREATORS OF ALL
SO BE IT AMEN…
Paul Smith
