The solemnity and seriousness of Holy Week are very evident in the Church of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman. Crucifixes and images of saints are covered with violet cloth as Christians “fast” from the beauty and comfort of sacred images. Even the Abbey’s huge 10-foot Great Cross is shrouded, its bright colors invisible until Easter.
Christians around the world are celebrating Holy Week. It begins on Palm Sunday and lasts through Easter Sunday. Holy Week is the center of the Christian Year, and the heart of Holy Week are the days of Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday, called the Sacred Triduum (Three Days). Especially during these days the Catholic monks of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman welcome guests to their worship, ancient rites in praise of God who suffered for the world. Though services of prayer are held throughout the day, the principal services at the Benedictine Abbey were/will be as follows:
- Thursday, April 17 (Holy Thursday) — Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 4 p.m.
- Friday, April 18 (Good Friday) — Passion of Christ, 3 p.m.; Tenebrae, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 19 (Holy Saturday) — Easter Vigil (the great Easter Celebration), 8 p.m.
- Sunday, April 20 (Easter Sunday) — Easter Mass, 10:30 a.m.; Solemn Vespers, 5:30 p.m.
“Holy Week begins with Passion (Palm) Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where, during the coming week, he would suffer, die and rise,” said Abbot Marcus Voss, O.S.B., leader of the monastery of about 20 Benedictine monks, explaining that Holy Week continues through to the Easter Triduum, the Great Three Days beginning Holy Thursday Evening and lasting through Easter Sunday Evening.
Why are the crucifixes covered?
In the Church’s tradition the veiling of crosses has several meanings: It is a “fasting” from sacred depictions which represent the Easter glory of salvation. Just as the Lenten fast concludes with the Easter feast, so too, fasting from the cross culminates in honoring the cross on which the sacrifice of Calvary was offered for the sins of the world on that first Good Friday. An important part of the Good Friday Liturgy is that honoring of the Cross, which includes its unveiling. Once the Cross has been unveiled, it is logical that all crosses would be unveiled so that they too might be honored by the faithful and remind all of the glory of the Holy Cross of Christ.
Likewise, a fasting from the wonderful images of the mysteries of faith and the saints in glory, ends at the Easter Vigil on Saturday night when all celebrate the victorious Christ, risen from the tomb.
Some writers explain that the veiling is to remind all of Jesus’ humiliation and to imprint the image of the crucified Christ more deeply on minds and hearts. The veiling of crosses and images, making them “present” but “absent,” draws attention to their importance and beauty – as wonderful objects that remind one of the gift of salvation and the communion of saints.
Celebrating the Easter Triduum
On Holy Thursday the Abbey celebrated the institution of the Mass at the event called The Lord’s Supper or Last Supper, and the Abbot washed the feet of twelve men in commemoration of Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet. Holy Thursday is sometimes called “Maundy Thursday” (from the Latin word “mandatum” or “command”), from Jesus’ command made on this day that his followers are to love as He loves, demonstrated in the very act of washing feet.
Abbot Marcus said, “On Good Friday is remembered Jesus’ perfect act of love: His suffering and death. In that connection the cross is honored with great solemnity. On Holy Saturday all keep watch with Jesus as He lies in the tomb until the darkness of Saturday evening. It is then that light pierces the darkness in the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death. The service begins in the dark — 8 p.m. on Saturday night when the ‘New Fire’ is lit outside the Abbey Church. From that fire the Paschal (Easter) Candle, which symbolizes Christ, is lit and taken into the church, where the candles of all worshippers receive the flame from the ‘Light of Christ’ (Paschal Candle), destroying darkness and flooding the church with light. Finally comes Easter Sunday morning and Easter Mass at 10:30 a.m.
“For almost 2,000 years Christians have worshipped God in special services during these holiest of days, and we are privileged to do the same, and we welcome all to join us.”
