Preparing for Holy Week

A Sacred Invitation to Participate in Christ’s Passion

Holy Week is the pinnacle of the liturgical year — the moment when the Church enters the heart of salvation history with solemnity, awe, and joy. It begins with Palm Sunday, when Christ enters Jerusalem as King, and culminates in His Passion, Death and Resurrection. For Catholics, Holy Week is a profound spiritual pilgrimage that draws us deeper into the mystery of Christ’s love.

Preparing well for Holy Week helps us enter more fully into the sacred events we commemorate. Whether our Lent has been rich or challenging, uplifting or “business as usual,” Holy Week offers each of us fresh graces to deepen our understanding of how far God will go to draw us closer to Himself.

Understanding What Holy Week Means

Holy Week is the summit of the Church’s liturgical year—the week that captures the heart of the Catholic Faith. It is a journey from anticipation to sorrow, from surrender to triumph.

Holy Week is a sacred pilgrimage through the Passion narratives—the very heart of our salvation. Each day reveals a distinct facet of our faith and invites us to follow in the footsteps of Our Lord and His Sorrowful Mother.

• Palm Sunday: Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of His Passion.
• Holy Monday: When Jesus drove the moneylenders from His Father’s House.
• Holy Tuesday: Traditional interpretations suggest this was the day Judas Iscariot met with the Sanhedrin to negotiate his betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
• Silent Wednesday: A name used by some scholars because the Bible does not explicitly record Jesus' activities on this day, leading to the belief that he spent it resting at Bethany.
• Holy Thursday: The Last Supper, the gift of the Eucharist, Christ’s commandment to love, and the beginning of His suffering.
• Good Friday: The crucifixion — the moment when Christ laid down His life for us.
• Holy Saturday: The stillness of the tomb — a time of waiting and hope.
• Easter Sunday: The Resurrection — Christ conquers death and opens the way to new life.

Preparing Our Hearts

1. Interior Dispositions

To enter Holy Week spiritually, we must first clear space in our hearts. It can be challenging to set aside time for prayer, Scripture reading, and reflection. Consider reading the Passion narratives daily—for example, meditate on Saint Matthew’s account of Holy Week, pausing to journal or pray about what Christ’s suffering reveals about His love for you.

Spiritual reading also deepens our preparation. Beyond Scripture, reading works by saints or Catholic writers on Christ’s Passion can illuminate the mystery of His love and sacrifice.

Here are some beautiful readings for Holy Week that are just a click away:

• Palm Sunday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Holy Monday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Holy Tuesday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Silent Wednesday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Holy Thursday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Good Friday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Holy Saturday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...
• Easter Sunday: https://americaneedsfatima.org...

2. Confess and Be Reconciled

Approaching Holy Week in a state of grace is among the most powerful ways to prepare. The Sacrament of Reconciliation helps us confront our sinfulness and receive Christ’s mercy. Many Catholic guides emphasize the importance of confession during Lent and Holy Week.

Even if you have not been to confession recently, seeking this sacrament in the days leading up to Holy Week opens your heart to Christ’s forgiveness and renewal. It helps us enter Good Friday with a spirit of humility and gratitude.

3. Unite Your Sufferings to Christ’s

In this valley of tears, pain and suffering are unavoidable. Catholic tradition teaches that our suffering can be a means of grace when united with Christ’s own suffering. As we reflect on the Passion, we can offer our trials—physical, emotional and relational—in union with Our Lord’s sufferings on the Cross.

This isn’t about negative self-absorption but about offering our daily burdens for a purpose: to become more like Christ and to participate in His redeeming love. It is also about taking what cannot be avoided and using it to ensure our eternal felicity and that of our loved ones.

Preparing Our Homes

1. A Prayerful Home Environment

Set up a prayer table—a visible sign that your home is a place where Christ is welcome.

This might include:

• A crucifix in a central place in your home
• Holy Scripture opened to the Passion readings
• A lit candle, especially on Good Friday or Holy Saturday
• A tall, thin vase holding your blessed palms

This concrete focus helps center your family’s prayer life during the week, creating a cenacle of stillness amid our busy lives.

2. Daily Domestic Practices

Even daily rhythms can reflect preparation:

• Pray the Rosary, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries;
• Meditate on the Stations of the Cross together;
• Read a short gospel or reflection each evening with your family.

These practices help transform your home into a space of contemplation and thanksgiving, a place of stillness where we can better know God.

Holy Week is a sacred gift—a time to step out of daily distractions and into Christ’s story of love. May your preparation be fruitful, your prayer be deep, and your encounter with the Lord be transformative.

3. Observe Good Friday at Home

Good Fridays are a day of fasting and abstinence.

Some families observe silence or avoid electronics between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. to honor the hours of Christ’s crucifixion.

Families with children can engage them meaningfully, too — for instance, by coloring prayerful Stations of the Cross coloring sheets or baking traditional hot cross buns, which carry rich symbolism of the Cross and the joy of the resurrection.

Participating in the Sacred Liturgy

1. Attend the Triduum Liturgies

The Easter Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil — is one extended liturgy in the life of the Church. Give yourself and your loved ones the gift of this three-day spiritual retreat, rich in blessings and grace.

• Holy Thursday: Celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, recalling Christ’s gift of the Holy Eucharist.
• Good Friday: Participate in the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.
• Easter Vigil: Rejoice in the Resurrection—the high point of the liturgical year!

These liturgies are not optional “extras”—they are the Church’s way of immersing us in the Paschal Mystery at its deepest level. The Easter Triduum has brought peace to souls for over two millennia; nothing else this side of Heaven could be more worth our time.

2. Receive the Eucharist Worthily

If possible, receive Communion on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Easter Sunday.

Prepare by:

• Praying before Mass,
• Examining your conscience,
• Going to the Sacrament of Confession,
• Fasting for the required time.

Going to Confession and participating in the Eucharist during Holy Week draws us into Christ’s sacrificial love in a deeply personal way.

Engaging the Family and Community

1. Pray Together as a Family

“The family that prays together stays together.” ~ Fr. Patrick Peyton

Have intentional family prayer times—such as the Holy Rosary, reading Scripture together, or praying at the prayer table. These moments unify hearts in prayer and deepen everyone’s engagement with Holy Week.

2. Invite Others to Worship

Invite relatives, neighbors, or friends to join you at the Holy Week liturgies or to pray with you. Sharing your Catholic Faith during this sacred time will be a powerful way to draw those around you into a deeper relationship with their Savior and to help them experience the peace only He can give.

3. Create Family Traditions

Families can create simple, meaningful traditions, such as lighting a candle each night, reading a short reflection at supper or observing a family Stations of the Cross at home.

Encountering the Paschal Mystery Personally

Holy Week is a series of liturgical observances that invite each of us to enter into the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. As we reflect on Christ’s humility, sufferings, and triumphant resurrection, we discover profound truths about ourselves and the extent of God’s love for us, despite our unworthiness.

Even if your Lent felt incomplete, Holy Week offers a fresh start. It’s never too late to:

• Make a good confession,
• Participate fully in the sacred liturgies,
• Open your heart to Christ’s mercy,
• Renew your commitment to Our Lady’s Fatima message of prayer, penance and conversion.

This week calls us to live the Paschal Mystery in a unique way each and every day.

A Prayer for Holy Week

God, Our Father, as we enter Holy Week, we turn our hearts toward the great sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We remember His journey to the Cross, His suffering, death and resurrection. Give us the courage to walk with Jesus daily, reflecting on the depths of His love and the power of His grace. Fill us with Your Spirit, that we may carry our own cross with faith and trust in You. Please open our hearts to all that our Sorrowful Mother endured out of love for us. May this week strengthen our relationship with You, renew our hearts, lead us to the joy and hope of the resurrection, and to living each day for Your greater glory. Amen