Holy Week is the most sacred time in the Catholic liturgical calendar. It commemorates the final days of Jesus Christ’s earthly life — His passion, death, and glorious resurrection. As we journey through this solemn and powerful week, the Church invites us to walk alongside Christ, from the shouts of “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday to the silence of the tomb on Holy Saturday, and ultimately to the triumph of Easter Sunday.
This guide breaks down each day of Holy Week, offering biblical insights, liturgical traditions, spiritual reflections, and practical suggestions to help Catholics enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery.
Table of Contents
🌿 Palm Sunday – The Lord’s Triumphal Entry
What it commemorates: Palm Sunday recalls Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when crowds greeted Him with palm branches, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:9).
Key symbols and traditions:
- Blessing and procession of palms
- Reading of the Passion narrative (cycle alternates between the Gospels)
- Beginning of Holy Week
Spiritual focus: Palm Sunday is both joyful and sorrowful — it celebrates Christ as King, but also marks the beginning of His journey to the Cross.
Read more: What is Palm Sunday? A Catholics Guide to the Beginning of Holy Week
Reflection: Am I ready to follow Jesus, even into suffering and sacrifice?
🕊️ Monday of Holy Week
What it commemorates: On this day, we remember the anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany, who poured costly perfume on His feet (John 12:1–11). It was an act of love, humility, and preparation for His burial.
Spiritual focus:
- Love and devotion to Christ
- Preparing our hearts for what is to come
Practical tip: Attend Confession if you haven’t already. Holy Week is an ideal time to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
🕊️ Tuesday of Holy Week
What it commemorates: Jesus speaks openly to His disciples about His impending betrayal. In John 13, He identifies Judas as the one who will hand Him over.
Spiritual focus:
- Trust in Christ amid confusion or fear
- Examination of conscience: Do I betray Jesus in my choices?
Reflection: Jesus knows betrayal and heartache — He walks with us through our own.
🕊️ Wednesday of Holy Week – Spy Wednesday
What it commemorates: Traditionally called “Spy Wednesday” to mark Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16).
Spiritual focus:
- The gravity of sin and the need for repentance
- Contrasting the love of Jesus with the betrayal of Judas
Tradition tip: Many Catholics fast on this day or pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary with special fervour.
Read more: Holy Wednesday: Understanding the Betrayal of Judas
✝️ The Sacred Triduum
The Easter Triduum is the three-day liturgical celebration of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. It is the high point of the Church year — one continuous liturgy spread across three days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday.
As Pope Benedict XVI said: “The Easter Triduum is the apex of our liturgical year — the culmination of our journey of faith.”
🍞 Holy Thursday – The Mass of the Lord’s Supper
What it commemorates: Holy Thursday marks:
- The Last Supper, where Christ instituted the Eucharist
- The institution of the priesthood
- Jesus’ command to love and serve others
Liturgical highlights:
- Chrism Mass (usually celebrated in the morning): The bishop blesses the holy oils used throughout the year for Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders.
- Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
- Washing of Feet (Mandatum)
- Eucharistic procession to the Altar of Repose
- Stripping of the altar
Spiritual focus:
- Adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist
- Gratitude for the priesthood
- Night vigils with the Lord in Gethsemane
“Could you not watch one hour with Me?” (Matthew 26:40)
💔 Good Friday – The Passion of the Lord
What it commemorates: Good Friday is the solemn day we remember Christ’s suffering and death on the Cross.
Liturgical highlights:
- Reading of the Passion (Gospel of John)
- Veneration of the Cross
- Holy Communion (no consecration)
- Day of fasting and abstinence
Spiritual focus:
- Deep contemplation of the Cross
- Sorrow for sin
- Hope in redemption
Traditions:
- Stations of the Cross
- Silence from noon to 3pm (hours Christ hung on the Cross)
“It is finished.” (John 19:30)
🌑 Holy Saturday – The Day of Silence and Waiting
What it commemorates: Holy Saturday recalls Christ’s body in the tomb and His descent into the realm of the dead — a mystery known as the Harrowing of Hell. During this time, Christ brought salvation to the righteous who had died before His Resurrection.
Theological significance: This descent shows Christ’s total identification with human death and His power to redeem even the dead. As the ancient homily says: “He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.”
Liturgical focus:
- No Mass is celebrated during the day
- Church remains silent and solemn
- Anticipation builds toward the Easter Vigil
Spiritual focus:
- Waiting in hope
- Meditating on the silence of the tomb
- Renewing our baptismal longing
🌅 Easter Vigil – The Night of All Nights
What it commemorates: The Easter Vigil celebrates Christ’s resurrection and the victory over sin and death.
Liturgy structure:
- Service of Light – New fire is kindled; the Paschal candle is lit
- Liturgy of the Word – Up to nine Scripture readings tracing salvation history
- Baptismal Liturgy – New Catholics are baptised and confirmed
- Liturgy of the Eucharist – First celebration of Easter Mass
Spiritual focus:
- New life in Christ
- Joy and victory
- Renewal of baptismal promises
“He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:6)
🎉 Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord
What it commemorates: Easter Sunday celebrates the central mystery of the Christian faith — Christ’s Resurrection. The empty tomb is proof of His divinity and the promise of new life for all who believe.
Spiritual focus:
- Living as Easter people
- Hope in eternal life
- Renewed joy and faith
Deeper meaning: The Resurrection confirms Jesus’ teachings, completes the work of redemption, and ushers in a new creation. As Pope St John Paul II said: “We are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song.”
🙏 How to Live Holy Week Well
Here are practical ways to enter deeply into Holy Week:
- Attend the Triduum liturgies: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil
- Go to Confession: Receive God’s mercy and start anew
- Pray the Rosary: Especially the Sorrowful Mysteries
- Read the Passion narratives: Matthew 26–28, Mark 14–16, Luke 22–24, John 18–21
- Fast and abstain: Embrace the penitential spirit of the week
- Observe silence and reflection: Especially on Good Friday and Holy Saturday
- Offer sacrifices: Acts of charity and service to others
📜 Final Thoughts: Why Holy Week Matters
Holy Week is not simply a remembrance — it is a participation in the greatest act of love the world has ever known. Through the Church’s liturgy, we are drawn into Christ’s Passion and invited to respond with faith, love, and hope.
Let us not rush past the Cross to reach the empty tomb. Let us dwell in each moment — because it was for love that He suffered, died, and rose again.
“Let us follow our Redeemer wherever He goes, in life, in death, on the Cross, and in the glory of His Resurrection.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux
READ MORE: WHAT IS PALM SUNDAY? A CATHOLICS GUIDE TO THE BEGINNING OF HOLY WEEK
READ MORE: HOLY WEDNESDAY: UNDERSTANDING THE BETRAYAL OF JUDAS
READ MORE: FAITH SECTION