Grace Thompson
Catholics reenact the Passion of Christ during Holy Week, the week immediately before Easter. This week includes Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, commemorating Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem; Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, which marks the institution of Communion and the betrayal by Judas; Good Friday, the day of Jesus's arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial; and Holy Saturday, when Jesus rested in the grave. The purpose of Holy Week is to reenact, relive, and participate in the passion of Jesus Christ.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time of the year | Holy Week, the last week of Lent |
| Days | Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday), Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday), Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Day |
| Events | Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his cleansing of the Temple, his anointing, the Last Supper, his agony, his arrest, his trial before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, his crucifixion and death, and his burial |
| Liturgy | Solemn reading of the Passion, the narrative of Christ's capture, suffering, and death |
| Rites | Roman Rite, Byzantine Rite, Tridentine Mass |
| Other traditions | Stations of the Cross, Little Office of the Passion, Passion Offices, Tenebrae |
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What You'll Learn
The Stations of the Cross
The devotion typically involves moving from one station to another, with each station representing a specific event from Christ's last day, beginning with his condemnation and ending with his burial. At each station, individuals recall and meditate on the specific event, say specific prayers, and engage in reflections. This physical devotion involves standing, kneeling, and genuflections, and is tied to the Christian themes of repentance and mortification of the flesh.
The tradition of the Stations of the Cross is said to have originated with Francis of Assisi, who founded the Custody of the Holy Land in 1217 to guard and promote devotion to Christian holy places. The Franciscans' efforts were recognised when Pope Clement VI officially proclaimed them the custodians of holy places in 1342. The Stations of the Cross have been a devotion of Catholics for over a thousand years and continue to be a powerful and transformative spiritual exercise.
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The Little Office of the Passion
The Psalms used in the Little Office of the Passion are not individual psalms from the Hebrew Scriptures, but collages constructed by Francis of Assisi by taking passages from canticles, psalms, liturgical texts, and other sources to paint pictures of the scenes from the Passion of Jesus. The Psalms are organised into five sequences corresponding to the Liturgical Year of the Roman Catholic Church.
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The Passion during Holy Week
Holy Week liturgies attract the largest crowds of the year. Many Christian cultures have different traditions, including special liturgies or services, floats, sculptures, or live reenactments of Christ's life, his arrest and crucifixion. These live reenactments are known as Passion Plays.
The Passion, from the Latin "patior" ("to suffer, bear, endure"), is the short final period before the death of Jesus, described in the four canonical gospels. It is commemorated in Christianity annually during Holy Week. The Passion may include, among other events, Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his cleansing of the Temple, his anointing, the Last Supper, his agony, his arrest, his trial before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, his crucifixion and death, and his burial.
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a large cross depicting the crucified Christ is brought out into the church, and each member of the congregation comes forward to venerate the cross. The whole congregation participates in the reading of the Passion Gospel during the Palm Sunday Mass and the Good Friday service. These readings have the priest read the part of Christ, a narrator read the narrative, other readers reading the other speaking parts, and either the choir or the congregation reading the parts of the crowds.
The Stations of the Cross is a series of religious reflections describing or depicting Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion. Most Catholic churches, as well as many Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist parishes, contain the Stations of the Cross, typically placed at intervals along the sidewalls of the nave. The tradition of moving around the Stations to commemorate the Passion of Christ began with Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Catholic Church in the medieval period. It is most commonly done during Lent, especially on Good Friday.
The Little Office of the Passion, created by Francis of Assisi, orders specific moments in Jesus's Passion with specific hours of the day. Compline (21:00) is attributed to Jesus's Arrest on the Mount of Olives, Matins (00:00) to his Trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Prime (06:00) to an interlude celebrating Christ as the light of the new day, and Terce (09:00) to his Trial before Pontius Pilate.
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The Passion in film
The Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, is a film that depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus's life before his death. The film is entirely focused on the events leading up to Jesus's crucifixion, including his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, and his trial before Pontius Pilate. It is based on the four canonical Gospel narratives of Christ's passion and includes references to the Old and New Testaments.
The film received polarized reviews, with some critics dismissing it for focusing on the crucifixion instead of Christ's ministry and teachings. However, others praised its performances, production values, and musical score, finding it to be a powerful spiritual message. Many also found the film to be a believable interpretation of the events surrounding Christ's death, with Gibson going to great lengths to ensure Biblical accuracy in terms of props, costumes, and language. The dialogue is in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, with English subtitles.
The Passion: Photography from the Movie "The Passion of the Christ" includes a foreword by Gibson, who states that the film is about "love, hope, faith, and forgiveness". He also mentions that Jesus "suffered for all of us" and that the film returns to the "basic message" of Christianity.
The film also drew inspiration from traditional representations of the Passion in art, such as the 14 Stations of the Cross, as well as Catholic traditions like the Veil of Veronica. It was endorsed by several Catholic bishops and cardinals, and many Christian groups promoted the film as a way to evangelize non-believers.
The film was shot primarily in Italy and broke records for its opening weekend, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film in the domestic market (US and Canada) for 20 years until Deadpool & Wolverine surpassed it in 2024.
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The Passion and the Eucharist
Holy Week, the week immediately before Easter, is a time for Christians to commemorate the Passion of Christ. This includes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his cleansing of the Temple, his anointing, the Last Supper, his agony, his arrest, his trial before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, his crucifixion and death, and his burial.
The Passion, derived from the Latin "patior" meaning "to suffer, bear, endure", refers to the short final period before Jesus' death. The Catholic Church, along with other Christian denominations, reads one or more narratives of the Passion during Holy Week, especially on Good Friday. The Roman Rite of the Catholic Church involves bringing out a large cross depicting the crucified Christ into the church, with the faithful venerating the cross. The Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches holds the Matins service for Good Friday, known as the Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels, with twelve readings from the Gospel Book.
The Stations of the Cross, commonly found in Catholic churches, depict Christ carrying the cross to his crucifixion. These are often small plaques with reliefs or paintings, or simple crosses with numerals, placed at intervals along the sidewalls of the nave. The tradition of moving around these Stations to commemorate the Passion of Christ originated with Francis of Assisi and spread throughout the Catholic Church during the medieval period. It is typically done during Lent, especially on Good Friday.
The Little Office of the Passion, created by Francis of Assisi, associates five specific moments in Jesus' Passion with particular hours of the day. This includes Compline (9 pm) – Jesus' Arrest on the Mount of Olives, Matins (midnight) – Jesus' Trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Prime (6 am) – an interlude celebrating Christ as the light of a new day, and Terce (9 am) – Jesus' Trial before Pontius Pilate.
The Eucharist, or the Sacrament of the Eucharist, is intimately connected to the Passion of Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus stated that the bread and wine were His Body and Blood, respectively. This ritual sacrifice, offered by a priest, is central to the Catholic faith. The consecrated bread, known as the "Host," represents Christ as the sacrificial victim. Thus, the Last Supper also instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics reenact the Passion of Christ during Holy Week, the week immediately before Easter.
Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. On Palm Sunday, Catholics read one or more narratives of the Passion and bring out a large cross depicting the crucified Christ. Maundy Thursday is the last Mass before Easter and includes a reenactment of the Washing of the Feet of the Apostles. Good Friday commemorates the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ.
The purpose of Holy Week is to reenact, relive, and participate in the passion of Jesus Christ.
