Anglican Church Twente

St Mary's of Weldam / Lent - Passiontide Member of the East Netherlands Group of Chaplaincies in the Diocese of Europe

Season of Lent and Passiontide The season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday, is the first day of the Season of Lent. Its name comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshippers’ heads or foreheads, who have confessed their sins, as a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow. The imposition of ashes has now been extended to include the whole congregation. Ashes became symbolic of that attitude of penitence. Ash Wednesday is a sombre day for reflection of our own faith. Lent Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that were placed before him. Christians today use this period of time for self examination, and repentance. Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross refers to the liturgical practice of using various events in the final hours of Jesus’ life as a structure for prayer and meditation (also called Way of the Cross). These events encompass Jesus’ journey carrying his cross from the Hall of Pilate where he was condemned to death to the site of his execution on Golgotha (Calvary). Passiontide Passiontide starts the on the Sunday before Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday). Holy Week HOLY WEEK begins on Palm Sunday morning with the triumphal entry of Christ the King into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday On Maundy Thursday we commemorate the Institution of the Eucharist or Communion. On this day in Jerusalem, Jesus, with his disciples, ate at the Last Supper where He commanded them to go out and "do this in remembrance of me". Good Friday It is the one-day of the year when the Church does not celebrate Mass. The Liturgy of Good Friday is in three parts. Colours and Symbols of Lent The colour used in the Church for most of Lent is purple. Purple symbolises both the pain and suffering leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus as well as the suffering of humanity and the world under sin. The decorations for the church during Lent should reflect this mood of penitence and reflection. At St Mary's the use of any flowers is avoided in Lent. On the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mid-Lent or Mothering Sunday) the liturgical colour changes to rose for the day. For the last two weeks of Lent (Passiontide) all crosses, statues and adornments are covered with purple cloth, which intensifies our visual senses ready for the drama of Holy Week. This is a very ancient tradition of the Anglican Church. going back to medieval times. It was the general practice when the first Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549 The colour changes to red for Maundy Thursday, a symbol of the disciples and through them the community of the church. The Institution of the Eucharist or Communion is observed on Maundy Thursday with a Sung High Mass, with the emphasis on the gathered community in the presence of Jesus the Christ. Traditionally, the sanctuary colour of Good Friday is black, the only day of the Church Year that black is used, apart from some requiem masses. It symbolizes the darkness brought into the world by sin, it also symbolizes death. Black is always replaced by white before the ceremonies of Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. The three days before Easter Sunday (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) are collectively known as The Triduum.