HOLY WEEK marks the final week of Jesus’ life on earth, beginning with Palm Sunday which marks his entry into Jerusalem, then the celebration of his Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, his passion and death on Good Friday, and finally, as Christians believe, his resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday.
“For Christian faith, there is no more significant week of the liturgical year.”
This year is unlike the past two years where restrictions are very strict and churches and religious organizations embrace recommendations on social distancing and eliminating gatherings of more than 10 people. This time, the Inter-Agency Task Force has lowered the alert level in some towns and provinces, Lenten season activities are going back to normal but still, we need to be cautious.
In the “new normal” we adopt with the work-from-home setting, parents home-schooling their children in a new blended learning setting, lockdown and quarantine, and the mandatory wearing of facemasks and face shields in public.
Although some churches are open at full capacity, we should not forget that gathering without social distancing is putting you at risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) infection.
Physically present and participating in the liturgy and all of its “actions” like genuflecting, and then kneeling, standing, sitting, singing, listening, responding, blessing, exchanging peace, and ultimately receiving Eucharist, during masses may feel uplifting but this can be done virtually for the past years. Let’s wait for a bit longer when the majority of masses have their vaccination.
For Roman Catholics, Holy Week enriches their faith through the blessing palms, washing of feet, and kissing the cross. But think about it —many of those actions can be enacted if we are watching them unfold through the media in our home, and perhaps as a family.
There is also an old Catholic practice of “spiritual communion.” No less than theologian Thomas Aquinas described this as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the holiest sacrament and to lovingly embrace him.” In a sense, our desire for the Eucharist becomes a way of receiving the Eucharist.
So, while we wait for better times, there can be great blessings for us in celebrating “virtually” the liturgies of Holy Week — or any Sunday.
Another tradition that Catholics do during Holy Thursday is the Visita Iglesia. Catholics visit seven churches and offer their prayers concerning the Seven Last Words of Jesus or the Seven Holy Wounds of Jesus by visiting 14 churches to match the 14 Stations of the Cross.
Because of the pandemic, even practicing the Visita Iglesia must be creative so that public health will be ensured.
Last year, because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines introduced online Visita Iglesia. Through this, Catholics can do virtual visits to the different Churches in the Philippines and offer their prayers while staying at their homes.
But now in the “new normal” where restrictions are being eased and most churches are opening, Catholics can travel and Visita Iglesia is possible. Bear in mind to still follow the minimum standard health protocols that the government implements and be sure to get vaccinated to lower your risk of infection.
To conclude, these practices must be done by the Catholic community so that they may celebrate the Holy Week faithfully while following the safety protocols obediently. Thus, the faithful will not be able to contribute to the spread of the virus yet they are able to attend to their Church obligations.
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Cheryl M. Luis is the wife of George N. True II. Like her husband, she advocates health and lifestyle writing and vows to continue “Health Frontiers” as her husband’s legacy./PN
