Holy Week and Easter 2018
Holy Week is one of the most special times of the Christian year, the time when we journey with Jesus to the cross, sharing the grief and desolation of his disciples and friends, before we share in the utter joy of Easter and the central fact of our faith that Jesus is risen. Walking this journey with Jesus is an essential part of our faith and we encourage you to come to as much as you can. The more we participate, the more spiritually enriching the journey will become.
Palm Sunday starts as a moment of great joy, as we cheer with the crowds who welcome Jesus to Jerusalem, but then takes a darker turn as we remember the passion.
The masses of Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday deepen our involvement with the story, focussing on the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary of Bethany, the denial of Peter and the betrayal of Judas respectively. Before each mass there will be an opportunity for half an hour’s silent prayer.
The Chrism mass, on Tuesday with the Bishop of Fulham and on Thursday at St Paul’s with the acting Bishop of London, is a beautiful service where the bishop blesses the holy oils for the year and the clergy of the diocese renew their ordination vows.
On Maundy Thursday we enter into the beauty of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and instituted the Eucharist. After the service is finished the blessed sacrament is taken to the altar of repose, made to resemble the garden of Gethsemane. The church is stripped of all decoration and we watch with Jesus in the garden until midnight.
On Good Friday we remember the moment when Jesus died for us all by listening to the story of the passion, venerating the cross and receiving communion reserved on the altar of repose.
The Easter Vigil on Saturday evening is the most important service of the Christian year. It is a journey from darkness into light, gathering around the Easter fire where the paschal candle is lit and blessed, journeying into the dark church to hear the story of our redemption through the Old Testament until the moment of joy when the lights come on, Jesus is risen and we celebrate the first mass of Easter, followed by a party.
Palm Sunday
10.00am Palm Sunday Mass with procession and reading of the passion. Holy Innocents, beginning at the W3 bus stop
11.30am Palm Sunday Mass with blessing of palms on the green procession and reading of the passion. Holy Trinity
Holy Monday
7 -7.30pm Silent Prayer
7.30 pm, Mass, Holy Trinity, Preacher: Brenda Barwick
Holy Tuesday
11.00am Chrism Mass, St Andrew’s Holborn
7-7.30pm Silent Prayer
7.30pm Mass, Holy Trinity, Preacher: Millie Gibson
Holy Wednesday
9.30am Mass, Holy Innocents
7 -7.30pm Silent Prayer
7.30pm Mass, Holy Innocents, Preacher: Gemma Green
Maundy Thursday
10.30am Chrism Mass, St Paul’s Cathedral
8pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper with footwashing and watch until Midnight, Holy Trinity, Preacher: Fr Ben
Good Friday
10.00am Children’s Stations of the Cross, Holy Innocents
12.00pm Liturgy of the Day, Holy Innocents
3pm Liturgy of the Day, Holy Trinity
Holy Saturday
9.30am Morning Prayer and Office of Readings, Holy Trinity
8.00pm Easter Vigil followed by party, Holy Innocents, Preacher: Fr Patrick
Easter Sunday
10.00am Easter mass with baptism, Holy Innocents
11.30 Easter mass, Holy Trinity