Today is Maundy Thursday

Holy Week is the last seven days of Lent that precedes Easter. It started with Palm Sunday and the rest of the days of the week are called "holy" in the memory of the mystery of the Redemption but some days have special names. Today, for example, is Holy Thursday that in liturgical books is called "Thursday of the Lord’s supper" and better known as "Maundy Thursday." Maundy is an English word derived from the Latin Mandatum, which means command. It refers to the command of the Lord given by the Lord that is followed to this day by the Bishops in the cathedral and the parish priests in their respective churches of washing the feet of twelve poor parishioners. It is the ritual that gave Holy Thursday the name Maundy. The other ritual associated with Holy Thursday is that observed by parishioners who commemorate the day visiting as many churches as they can. The custom is called visita iglesia.

Tomorrow is Good Friday that in liturgical books is called "the Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord." It is a day observed with sadness. It is the only day of the year on which Mass is not celebrated. Instead, they celebrate the passion of our Lord starting at three o’clock in the afternoon and there is a Holy Communion Service.

Saturday will mark the last day of Holy Week. It is the day that commemorates the Burial of Our Lord. Late in the evening, the Easter Vigil Service starts with the blessing of the new fire and the solemn blessing and lighting of the Paschal Candle. All this is in preparation of the lighting for the evening function. The Precorium or praise of the candle symbolizes the Risen Christ. The Holy Saturday commemoration reaches its climax at midnight with the first Easter Mass which contains the Alleluia announcement.The next day is Easter, "the solemnity of solemnities"; the center of the liturgical year for it commemorates the Resurrection of Christ. Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the full moon that follows the spring equinox and so is never before March 22nd or after April 25th. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was baptized Gloria because she was born on a Sabado de Gloria, the Spanish name for Holy Saturday.

Holy Week this year is different from all other Holy Weeks in the past because only now have we had intelligence information that some terrorists have plans to sow terror in some churches by planting bombs. This is a prime example of how senseless terrorism is. What could any cause gain by murdering innocent people?