Today is Spy Wednesday!
30 Coins Hidden
Tenebrae means “shadow” or “darkness.” The Liturgy of the Hours is chanted and with the completion of each reading, a candle is extinguished until the church is pitch black.
Spy Wednesday is traditionally the day we read how Mary anointed Jesus’ Feet with expensive oil and dried His Feet with her hair. Judas criticizes Mary’s efforts, mentioning that the price of the expensive oil would be better suited to help the poor. Judas looks for an opportunity to turn Jesus over to the chief priests and will receive 30 coins for his betrayal; approximately one tenth the expense of the anointing oil.
Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16, John 12:3-8
Here’s a video I created for our Parish Women’s Group, explaining the significance of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, thanks to Spoken Gospel.
Holy Wednesday is often marked with a service of Tenebrae (Latin for ‘darkness’ or ‘shadows’), with psalms and other readings while candles on a candelabrum
are gradually extinguished, creating the sense of growing darkness.
Holy Thursday
Jesus washes the feet of the Apostles as they gather to celebrate the Passover. But this Passover is different from their usual tradition because this is the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist: the Sacrifice of His own Body and Blood for our sins and those of the whole world.
This is a slide show I created for our Parish Women’s Group, with Fr. Mike Schmitz’ life-changing talk about the Eucharist, testimony that the Eucharist is the True Presence of Jesus that we are so blessed to receive!
Washing of the Feet (as Jesus washed the Apostles’ Feet)
Visit of 7 Churches Tradition
There are many traditions that surround Holy Thursday. Some people use it as a day to go on a local pilgrimage and visit as many churches in their area as they can. Walk around and observe the beauty and symbolism found in each church, then take some time to pray for our priests.
Holy Thursday is a celebration of the institution of the Eucharist, so it’s a great day to spend some time in Adoration.
It’s also highly recommended to attend the Mass of the Last Supper held in the evening.
After Mass, the sanctuary is stripped of all decor and the crucifix will be covered by purple cloth in preparation
for the solemn Good Friday liturgy.
Good Friday
Jesus is found guilty of a crime he did not commit and sentenced to execution on a cross. This is the day that Jesus is arrested, mocked, scourged, and crowned with thorns. He is forced to carry His Cross, He falls three times, He is nailed to the cross and He dies on the cross.
Scripture: Matthew 27:1-56
Good Friday is a solemn day of fasting and abstinence:
Abstinence binds all Catholics from 14 years old and up to abstain from meat.
Fasting binds all adults from 18-60 to limit eating to 2 small meals and a 3rd meal no larger than the other 2 put together. Pregnant women and adults with relevant health issues are exempt from fasting.
Some people have a Symbolic Tea or Lunch for Good Friday with simple snacks that represent the Suffering and Death of Jesus and Bible Readings throughout.
Maintain an element of silence throughout Good Friday. Don’t listen to music in the car and turn off distractions.
Work to intentionally make it a day of quiet and reflection.
Move a crucifix to a place of prominence in your home.
Churches will hold somber services Friday at 3 p.m. — when He is thought to have died — to remember Jesus’ Sacrifice for us.
Stations of the Cross devotions are also held.
Here are some LAST MINUTE Craft and Family Tradition Activities with printables you can purchase, print and PRAY with right away!
Project: Pray More
24 (+6 customizable) Specially formatted Prayer Prompt Cards to be strategically placed to prompt us to pray unceasingly from the heart, fostering our personal relationship with Jesus.
Project: Pray More
$12 PDF Download
Gospel Graces
This craft kit makes a good review ANY time of year of Jesus’ Public Ministry. It includes full Lenten Calendars (for all three Liturgical Cycles) AND postcard Prayer Prompts of all the key events with Gospel Reading references, illustrations and Prayer Prompts!
Use year after year during LENT…and ALL through the Year for Prompts to Pray through Jesus’ Public Ministry!
Gospel Graces
$27 $20 PDF Download
Hands-On Pack of Prayers
Stations of the Cross, Rosary and Divine Mercy
Illustrated Prayer Tools
Helpful ALL YEAR ROUND for Family Prayer!
$15 PDF Download
Recommended Stations of the Cross on YouTube: Liguori Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross Craft Kit
$12 PDF Download
Stations of the Cross ABACUS
$12 PDF Download
Expanded Seder Supper Printable with Script from Monica
in her shoppe: Arma Dei Seder Supper Printable
$6 PDF Download
Symbolic Lenten Lunch at Catholic Icing (FREE!)
Symbolic Holy Week and Easter Cookbook Printable
Excellent resources with lots of easy, kid-friendly but meaningful recipes and traditions for Holy Week and Easter.
Available at Catholic Icing.
Remembering that Good Friday was when the real Stations of the Cross actually took place, here are some Stations of the Cross Crafts!
And here are some of the Catholic Crafts we’ve made with the Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy and Works of Mercy Craft Kits, we have created and made available through our Arma Dei shoppe:
Our Stations of the Cross Craft Kit includes FOUR different types of templates to help you paint them, make votive candles, flipbooks, accordion books, table displays and tokens.
Illustrated with the Kelly Saints….
Easy as Abacus Stations of the Cross Craft Kit
The Easy as Abacus Stations of the Cross Craft Kit offers prayers and clipart to customize a Stations of the Cross Abacus made from a Dollarstore square framed canvas. The strung Pony beads are perfect for little fingers to count the 14 Stations of the Cross. The kit includes several templates of the Stations of the Cross including a coloring page and summary sheet.
The Easy as Abacus Divine Mercy Craft Kit
Lenten Pack of Prayers including Stations of the Cross, the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Printables of Prayer Tools
Movie Recommendations:
if you are not giving up screens on this day:
Ben Hur
Jesus of Nazareth (last half with the Last Supper and Passion and Death of Jesus)
The Passion
Passion Play Crafts
Painted Saints Passion Play with Peg People Printable from Catholic Icing
Painted Saint Passion Play from 2014
Easter Sunday and Octave of Easter
The Divine Mercy Novena starts on Good Friday! Sign up for the prayers delivered each day to your inbox:
Pray More Novenas: Divine Mercy
Prompt Me to Pray through Easter
by Monica McConkey
PDF Download
OR Printed and Shipped to USA or Canada
Prompt Me to Pray through EASTER journeys through the 50 days of Easter, including Divine Mercy Sunday, the Ascension of Jesus, and ending on the Solemnity of Pentecost. It’s a 44-page booklet with scripture, illustrations, and prayer prompts offering dispositions or practices for deeper prayer. Reflections include: Grateful Unshakeable Joy, Abiding in His Presence, Courageous Vulnerability, Trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus, Humble Surrender, Bold Confidence in God’s Love and Enkindled with Extravagant Grace.
Prompt Me to Pray through Holy Week
Each of the 8 days, offers an illustrated Prompt to Pray. We reflect on a Scriptural account of what Jesus did and taught, explore the virtue He exemplifies, and receive a Prompt to Pray, more consistently and from the heart!
This Booklet contains a subset of content from Prompt Me to Pray through Lent, focusing specifically on Holy Week.
Do not purchase this Prompt Me to Pray through Holy Week PDF,
if you already have Prompt Me to Pray through Lent.
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