How to Live Holy Week

Urges Spirit of Faith and Gratitude

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 12, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has suggested that Holy Week be lived in a spirit of faith, adoration, love and gratitude.

Cardinal Francis Arinze explained on Vatican Radio that the faithful are approaching a mystery, a "unique and unrepeatable event," from which the Lord expects "a certain response from us."

Palm Sunday marked the start of the liturgical period in which the Church invites believers to reflect on the central mysteries of the faith.

According to Cardinal Arinze, the various stages of Holy Week must be lived "with a spirit of faith, adoration and love for Jesus, who gave his life for us."

He urged "a spirit of thanksgiving to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, because Jesus the Redeemer is the manifestation of the mercy of God, who has not abandoned man to his fallen state, but has sent us a Savior."

The Easter triduum -- the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord -- is the center of the liturgical year, the cardinal stressed.

Unique event

"Whoever does not understand the importance of the paschal mystery -- in the sense that its celebration is the high point of the work of our redemption, through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus -- whoever does not see this does not understand what the Christian faith is about," Cardinal Arinze noted.

"Of course we do not pretend to understand the whole mystery, but the Lord expects a certain response from us to this unique and unrepeatable event," he clarified.

"The first thing to be done is to take part in the Holy Week and Easter celebrations, arrive on time in church, have a missal to read and properly follow all the readings, and reflect, pray and believe in God's grace which operates in us," suggested the cardinal.

"It is also appropriate," he added, "to study the Catechism of the Catholic Church to understand well all that we celebrate."