7 Ways to Prepare for Easter During Holy Week

These final days leading up to the celebration of Easter are commemorated as “Holy Week” for good reason. As the Church unites together as one body to pray, I wanted to share a few unique activities that you could do with your own families and communities, similar to what we do in our Brotherhood in preparation for Easter.

“Spy Wednesday” – Attend a “Tenebrae Service” at a local parish or another Christian church. It is a beautiful service most known for the slow extinguishing of candles and the loud stomping of feet to signify the earthquake and darkness after Christ’s death. This is typically on either “Spy Wednesday” or Holy Thursday but not always.

“And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split…” (Matthew 27:51)

2. Holy Thursday – Take turns washing your household members’ feet. Whether you live with your family or with roommates, there is something quite humbling about having your feet washed and washing the feet of others.

“Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” (John 13:5)

3. Holy Thursday – Create a “Garden of Gethsemane” in your own home with low lighting and a few symbolic plants, but especially praying and meditating on Jesus’ agony in the garden and later his arrest and imprisonment.

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” (Matthew 26:36)

4. Good Friday – Watch the movie “The Passion” with your family or household, pausing the movie after each sorrowful mystery of the Rosary is depicted and praying a decade of the Rosary, meditating on the mystery just watched.

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak…” (John 19:1-2)

5. Holy Saturday – Visit a local cemetery to prayerfully meditate on Christ’s death and Resurrection, conquering death once and for all.

“He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8)

6. Any time during Holy Week – Attend an ecumenical service at a local non-Catholic church. They often preach on the “7 Last Words of Christ”. Spending time with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations serves as a sign of Christian unity, a unity of Easter people!

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)

7. Anytime during Holy Week – Celebrate the Christian Seder meal, remembering that Christ has fulfilled and perfected the Passover. As Brothers, we typically celebrate this meal on Holy Saturday, but it could be done on Holy Thursday or even Easter Monday. Here are the prayers and readings (
printable booklet or
standard PDF) to use for the meal.

“For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8)