Santa Semana – Holy Week

Have you given anything up for Lent? If so, how well are you doing at sticking to your decision? Well, thankfully, Easter is nearly upon us, and Holy Week, or Santa Semana as it’s known here in Portugal, begins on Palm Sunday (24 March). Each day of Holy Week has a different emphasis in the church liturgy, and you probably know the highlights of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Still, every day of the week has the title ‘Holy’ – so we have Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, etc. Holy Wednesday, for example, is associated with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus to the religious authorities for 30 pieces of silver. In some church traditions, this day is marked by reflections on betrayal and forgiveness.

Maundy Thursday is probably one of the days that you do know about. This commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples. It is also when Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) and washed his disciples’ feet as an act of humility and service. Our Maundy Thursday service at the church in Praia da Luz will be at 10.30 am, and it re-enacts that washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus just before his crucifixion – and so, girded with a small towel, the priest will wash some of the feet of those attending the service as a symbolic way of showing that they are there to serve others.

On Good Friday, we have a ‘Stations of the Cross’ service (known as Via-Sacre or ‘sacred way’ in Portuguese) in the church at 11 am. This is a solemn and reflective service where those taking part spend a little time at each of the fourteen icons/images/plaques that are in Igreja Nossa Senhora da Luz, depicting what’s known as The Passion of Christ – Jesus’s last journey to the cross. Many of us will join the Via-Sacre walk in Lagos that evening.

And then, of course, we have Easter Sunday, which will be a joy-filled service (with an Easter Egg hunt for children at the end of the 11.30 am service). Please do get in touch for more details.

Have a wonderful Easter. God bless.
Fr Rob Kean