15 April 2011

The Joys of Holy Week

There is no other week of the year like this special week.  From the joyous acclamations of Palmarum and the waving of palms, through the love our Lord shows in washing his disciples feet and in giving us the Holy Eucharist and then the stripping of the altar, from the immolation of the Lamb on the cross, through His sanctifying of our graves by sharing a grave himself, all the way through to the joys of the Easter Vigil and Easter Eucharist where the Lamb reveals Himself victorious over death and the grave for us - well, nothing compares to it.

No little part of the joys of this week are the hymns.  Think of them, old and new, and all brimming with divine love:

All glory, laud, and honor
No tramp of solider's marching feet
Ride on, ride on
When you woke that Thursday morning
O Lord, We Praise Thee
When I behold Jesus Christ
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth
The Royal Banners
O Sacred Head
All You Works of God
Christ the Lord is Risen Today
Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Awake, My Heart, with Gladness
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
Christ has Arisen, Alleluia!
Now All the Vault of Heaven

They bring us right into the events that Scripture unfolds before us, and the liturgy allows us to be witnesses to these saving acts and to enter into them and receive them as our own by faith.  O Christian, do not deprive yourself of the great joys of these days!  It is a fabulous feast that is set before you!  Come, and behold the marvel of all marvels, and join in singing that Love that no death could destroy!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I want to thank you for your words. The Hymns of Holy Week take us thru, with the liturgy, from the Mount of Olives, to the Upper Room, to Gethsemane, to Caiphas Court, to Pilates hall, to the Praetorium, thru narrow streets to Golgatha, and then to the tomb that is sealed, but then bursts forth in Easter joy!

My favorite hymns of this time are Go to Dark Gethsemane, My song is Love unknown, and then on Easter..I know that my Redeemer Lives.

Thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Ow, no strains of "At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing" and the glorious strains of Palestrina's "The Strife Is Oe'r" ???

):

Christine

William Weedon said...

Lamb's High Feast, yes. Strife is O'er we save for later in the Easter season.

Anonymous said...

Lamb's High Feast, yes. Strife is O'er we save for later in the Easter season.

OK Pastor Weedon, I hereby change my ): to (:

Christine

Anonymous said...

Great Post! If you don't mind, I'm going to share this on my own blog, giving you full credit of course.