The great Liturgies of Holy Week include dramatic elements such as the palms, processions, the unveiling of the Cross, and the blessing and veneration of the Paschal Candle which represents the light of Christ. These visible rites help us to ponder prayerfully the mysteries that we celebrate.

However we are not simply remembering events that happened a long time ago. The celebration of the sacred Liturgy brings us grace here and now. By participating devoutly in the ceremonies, we seek to die to ourselves, to take up our cross and follow Christ, and to live as Christians, renewing our faith in the Lord who is risen from the dead and alive today.

When the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke His disciples for crying “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” He said “if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Lk 19.40) As Lord of all creation, Christ “comes into His own” and the very creation itself would recognise Him if there were no acclamation from His disciples. His subsequent crucifixion is the ultimate blasphemy, from which Our Lord brought the definitive triumph over evil by redeeming us.

We are also called to recognise Jesus Christ as Our Lord and Master, to devote ourselves wholly to Him in faith, hope and charity, giving Him the first place in our lives, not relegating Him to the sidelines as though following Christ were a part-time religious hobby.

In the sacred Liturgy of the solemn ceremonies of Holy Week and Easter, as throughout the year, we participate genuinely to the degree that we allow ourselves to be changed by it, and transformed in the likeness of Christ.