Clean the house on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to prepare for Easter
During the first three days of Holy Week, Easter housecleaning takes place in many Catholic communities. This is more than just another secular custom. Its purpose is to prepare the house for the blessing by the priest on Holy Saturday, and is an outward sign of the inner newness of soul of the family. This meaning should be made clear to the children so that they may help prepare the house for the Church’s blessing. By Wednesday of Holy Week the cleaning should be finished, and the remainder of the week should be considered as semi-holidays.
(From How to Make Your House a Home by Rev. Bernard Stokes, O.F.M., Family Life Bureau, Washington D.C., 1955)
Attend Tenebrae services
Tenebrae (Latin for “darkness”) is a religious service of Western Christianity held during the three days preceding Easter Day, and characterized by gradual extinguishing of candles, and by a “strepitus” or “loud noise” taking place in total darkness near the end of the service.
Tenebrae was originally a celebration of matins and lauds of the last three days of Holy Week (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) in the evening of the previous day (Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) to the accompaniment of special ceremonies that included the display of lighted candles on a special triangular candelabra.
Modern celebrations called Tenebrae may be of quite different content and structure, based for example on the Seven Last Words or readings of the Passion of Jesus. They may be held on only one day of Holy Week, especially Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday). They may be held during the daylight hours and the number of candles, if used, may vary.
If you would like to attend a traditional tenebrae service, find a Traditional Latin Mass near you (click here to explore).
Read daily from Dom Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year
The Liturgical Year (French: L’Année Liturgique) is a written work in fifteen volumes describing the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. The series was written by Dom Prosper Louis Pascal Guéranger, a French Benedictine priest and abbot of Solesmes. Dom Guéranger began writing the work in 1841, and died in 1875 after writing nine volumes. The remaining volumes were completed by another Benedictine under Dom Guéranger’s name.
The series describes the liturgy of the Catholic Church throughout the liturgical year, including the Mass and the Divine Office. Also described is the historical development of the liturgy in both Western and Eastern traditions. Biographies of saints and their liturgies are given on their feast days.
The Liturgical Year has been called the “Summa” of the liturgy of the Catholic Church.
The website www.liturgialatina.org includes the full “Liturgical Year”.
Tuesday: read St. Mark’s Passion account
St. Mark—Chapter 14
32 And they came to a farm called Gethsemani. And he saith to his disciples: Sit you here, while I pray. 33 And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy. 34 And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch. 35 And when he was gone forward a little, he fell flat on the ground; and he prayed, that if it might be, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he saith: Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt. 37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? 38 Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 39 And going away again, he prayed, saying the same words. 40 And when he returned, he found them again asleep, (for their eyes were heavy,) and they knew not what to answer him.
41 And he cometh the third time, and saith to them: Sleep ye now, and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come: behold the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise up, let us go. Behold, he that will betray me is at hand. 43 And while he was yet speaking, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve: and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the ancients. 44 And he that betrayed him, had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; lay hold on him, and lead him away carefully. 45 And when he was come, immediately going up to him, he saith: Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed him.
46 But they laid hands on him, and held him. 47 And one of them that stood by, drawing a sword, struck a servant of the chief priest, and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus answering, said to them: Are you come out as to a robber, with swords and staves to apprehend me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not lay hands on me. But that the scriptures may be fulfilled. 50 Then his disciples leaving him, all fled away.
51 And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. 52 But he, casting off the linen cloth, fled from them naked. 53 And they brought Jesus to the high priest; and all the priests and the scribes and the ancients assembled together. 54 And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself. 55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for evidence against Jesus, that they might put him to death, and found none.
56 For many bore false witness against him, and their evidences were not agreeing. 57 And some rising up, bore false witness against him, saying: 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another not made with hands. 59 And their witness did not agree. 60 And the high priest rising up in the midst, asked Jesus, saying: Answerest thou nothing to the things that are laid to thy charge by these men?
61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him: Art thou the Christ the Son of the blessed God? 62 And Jesus said to him: I am. And you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming with the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rending his garments, saith: What need we any further witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy. What think you? Who all condemned him to be guilty of death. 65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him: Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.
66 Now when Peter was in the court below, there cometh one of the maidservants of the high priest. 67 And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 68 But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew. 69 And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them. 70 But he denied again. And after a while they that stood by said again to Peter: Surely thou art one of them; for thou art also a Galilean.
71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak. 72 And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.
St. Mark—Chapter 15
1 And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, saith to him: Thou sayest it. 3 And the chief priests accused him in many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, saying: Answerest thou nothing? behold in how many things they accuse thee. 5 But Jesus still answered nothing; so that Pilate wondered.
6 Now on the festival day he was wont to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded. 7 And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder. 8 And when the multitude was come up, they began to desire that he would do, as he had ever done unto them. 9 And Pilate answered them, and said: Will you that I release to you the king of the Jews? 10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 And Pilate again answering, saith to them: What will you then that I do to the king of the Jews? 13 But they again cried out: Crucify him. 14 And Pilate saith to them: Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him. 15 And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas, and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace, and they called together the whole band: 17 And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him. 18 And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews. 19 And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him. 20 And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him.
21 And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross. 22 And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary. 23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he took it not. 24 And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26 And the inscription of his cause was written over: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: And with the wicked he was reputed. 29 And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days buildest it up again; 30 Save thyself, coming down from the cross.
31 In like manner also the chief priests mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 35 And some of the standers by hearing, said: Behold he calleth Elias.
36 And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar, and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias come to take him down. 37 And Jesus having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. 39 And the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost, said: Indeed this man was the son of God. 40 And there were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joseph, and Salome:
41 Who also when he was in Galilee followed him, and ministered to him, and many other women that came up with him to Jerusalem. 42 And when evening was now come, (because it was the Parasceve, that is, the day before the sabbath,) 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a noble counsellor, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 44 But Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead. 45 And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And Joseph buying fine linen, and taking him down, wrapped him up in the fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewed out of a rock. And he rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.
Spy Wednesday: read St. Luke’s Passion
St. Luke—Chapter 22
39 And going out, he went, according to his custom, to the mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was come to the place, he said to them: Pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
41 And he was withdrawn away from them a stone’s cast; and kneeling down, he prayed, 42 Saying: Father, if thou wilt, remove this chalice from me: but yet not my will, but thine be done. 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. 44 And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow.
46 And he said to them: Why sleep you? arise, pray, lest you enter into temptation. 47 As he was yet speaking, behold a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus, for to kiss him. 48 And Jesus said to him: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss? 49 And they that were about him, seeing what would follow, said to him: Lord, shall we strike with the sword? 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answering, said: Suffer ye thus far. And when he had touched his ear, he healed him. 52 And Jesus said to the chief priests, and magistrates of the temple, and the ancients, that were come unto him: Are ye come out, as it were against a thief, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 54 And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest’s house. But Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them.
56 Whom when a certain servant maid had seen sitting at the light, and had earnestly beheld him, she said: This man also was with him. 57 But he denied him, saying: Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while, another seeing him, said: Thou also art one of them. But Peter said: O man, I am not. 59 And after the space, as it were of one hour, another certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth, this man was also with him; for he is also a Galilean. 60 And Peter said: Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, as he was yet speaking, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter going out, wept bitterly. 63 And the men that held him, mocked him, and struck him. 64 And they blindfolded him, and smote his face. And they asked him, saying: Prophesy, who is it that struck thee? 65 And blaspheming, many other things they said against him.
66 And as soon as it was day, the ancients of the people, and the chief priests and scribes, came together; and they brought him into their council, saying: If thou be the Christ, tell us. 67 And he saith to them: If I shall tell you, you will not believe me. 68 And if I shall also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. 69 But hereafter the Son of man shall be sitting on the right hand of the power of God. 70 Then said they all: Art thou then the Son of God? Who said: You say that I am.
71 And they said: What need we any further testimony? for we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth.
St. Luke—Chapter 23
1 And the whole multitude of them rising up, led him to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying: We have found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king. 3 And Pilate asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, said: Thou sayest it. 4 And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the multitudes: I find no cause in this man. 5 But they were more earnest, saying: He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 But Pilate hearing Galilee, asked if the man were of Galilee? 7 And when he understood that he was of Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him away to Herod, who was also himself at Jerusalem, in those days. 8 And Herod, seeing Jesus, was very glad; for he was desirous of a long time to see him, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to see some sign wrought by him. 9 And he questioned him in many words. But he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and the scribes stood by, earnestly accusing him.
11 And Herod with his army set him at nought, and mocked him, putting on him a white garment, and sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate were made friends, that same day; for before they were enemies one to another. 13 And Pilate, calling together the chief priests, and the magistrates, and the people, 14 Said to them: You have presented unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people; and behold I, having examined him before you, find no cause in this man, in those things wherein you accuse him. 15 No, nor Herod neither. For I sent you to him, and behold, nothing worthy of death is done to him.
16 I will chastise him therefore, and release him. 17 Now of necessity he was to release unto them one upon the feast day. 18 But the whole multitude together cried out, saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19 Who, for a certain sedition made in the city, and for a murder, was cast into prison. 20 And Pilate again spoke to them, desiring to release Jesus.
21 But they cried again, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said to them the third time: Why, what evil hath this man done? I find no cause of death in him. I will chastise him therefore, and let him go. 23 But they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25 And he released unto them him who for murder and sedition, had been cast into prison, whom they had desired; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.
26 And as they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country; and they laid the cross on him to carry after Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of people, and of women, who bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over me; but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For behold, the days shall come, wherein they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the paps that have not given suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us.
31 For if in the green wood they do these things, what shall be done in the dry? 32 And there were also two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, they crucified him there; and the robbers, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 And Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But they, dividing his garments, cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding, and the rulers with them derided him, saying: He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the elect of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying: If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And there was also a superscription written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 And one of those robbers who were hanged, blasphemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil. 42 And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. 44 And it was almost the sixth hour; and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
46 And Jesus crying out with a loud voice, said: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And saying this, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now the centurion, seeing what was done, glorified God, saying: Indeed this was a just man. 48 And all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done, returned striking their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that had followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 50 And behold there was a man named Joseph, who was a counsellor, a good and just man,
51 (The same had not consented to their counsel and doings;) of Arimathea, a city of Judea; who also himself looked for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And taking him down, he wrapped him in fine linen, and laid him in a sepulchre that was hewed in stone, wherein never yet any man had been laid.
Spy Wednesday: read Canto XXXIV of Dante’s Inferno
“‘Vexilla Regis prodeunt Inferni’
Towards us; therefore look in front of thee,”
My Master said, “if thou discernest him.”
As, when there breathes a heavy fog, or when
Our hemisphere is darkening into night,
Appears far off a mill the wind is turning,
Methought that such a building then I saw;
And, for the wind, I drew myself behind
My Guide, because there was no other shelter.
Now was I, and with fear in verse I put it,
There where the shades were wholly covered up,
And glimmered through like unto straws in glass.
Some prone are lying, others stand erect,
This with the head, and that one with the soles;
Another, bow-like, face to feet inverts.
When in advance so far we had proceeded,
That it my Master pleased to show to me
The creature who once had the beauteous semblance,
He from before me moved and made me stop,
Saying: “Behold Dis, and behold the place
Where thou with fortitude must arm thyself.”
How frozen I became and powerless then,
Ask it not, Reader, for I write it not,
Because all language would be insufficient.
I did not die, and I alive remained not;
Think for thyself now, hast thou aught of wit,
What I became, being of both deprived.
The Emperor of the kingdom dolorous
From his mid-breast forth issued from the ice;
And better with a giant I compare
Than do the giants with those arms of his;
Consider now how great must be that whole,
Which unto such a part conforms itself.
Were he as fair once, as he now is foul,
And lifted up his brow against his Maker,
Well may proceed from him all tribulation.
O, what a marvel it appeared to me,
When I beheld three faces on his head!
The one in front, and that vermilion was;
Two were the others, that were joined with this
Above the middle part of either shoulder,
And they were joined together at the crest;
And the right-hand one seemed ‘twixt white and yellow;
The left was such to look upon as those
Who come from where the Nile falls valley-ward.
Underneath each came forth two mighty wings,
Such as befitting were so great a bird;
Sails of the sea I never saw so large.
No feathers had they, but as of a bat
Their fashion was; and he was waving them,
So that three winds proceeded forth therefrom.
Thereby Cocytus wholly was congealed.
With six eyes did he weep, and down three chins
Trickled the tear-drops and the bloody drivel.
At every mouth he with his teeth was crunching
A sinner, in the manner of a brake,
So that he three of them tormented thus.
To him in front the biting was as naught
Unto the clawing, for sometimes the spine
Utterly stripped of all the skin remained.
“That soul up there which has the greatest pain,”
The Master said, “is Judas Iscariot;
With head inside, he plies his legs without.
Of the two others, who head downward are,
The one who hangs from the black jowl is Brutus;
See how he writhes himself, and speaks no word.
And the other, who so stalwart seems, is Cassius.
But night is reascending, and ’tis time
That we depart, for we have seen the whole.”
As seemed him good, I clasped him round the neck,
And he the vantage seized of time and place,
And when the wings were opened wide apart,
He laid fast hold upon the shaggy sides;
From fell to fell descended downward then
Between the thick hair and the frozen crust.
When we were come to where the thigh revolves
Exactly on the thickness of the haunch,
The Guide, with labour and with hard-drawn breath,
Turned round his head where he had had his legs,
And grappled to the hair, as one who mounts,
So that to Hell I thought we were returning.
“Keep fast thy hold, for by such stairs as these,”
The Master said, panting as one fatigued,
“Must we perforce depart from so much evil.”
Then through the opening of a rock he issued,
And down upon the margin seated me;
Then tow’rds me he outstretched his wary step.
I lifted up mine eyes and thought to see
Lucifer in the same way I had left him;
And I beheld him upward hold his legs.
And if I then became disquieted,
Let stolid people think who do not see
What the point is beyond which I had passed.
“Rise up,” the Master said, “upon thy feet;
The way is long, and difficult the road,
And now the sun to middle-tierce returns.”
It was not any palace corridor
There where we were, but dungeon natural,
With floor uneven and unease of light.
“Ere from the abyss I tear myself away,
My Master,” said I when I had arisen,
“To draw me from an error speak a little;
Where is the ice? and how is this one fixed
Thus upside down? and how in such short time
From eve to morn has the sun made his transit?”
And he to me: “Thou still imaginest
Thou art beyond the centre, where I grasped
The hair of the fell worm, who mines the world.
That side thou wast, so long as I descended;
When round I turned me, thou didst pass the point
To which things heavy draw from every side,
And now beneath the hemisphere art come
Opposite that which overhangs the vast
Dry-land, and ‘neath whose cope was put to death
The Man who without sin was born and lived.
Thou hast thy feet upon the little sphere
Which makes the other face of the Judecca.
Here it is morn when it is evening there;
And he who with his hair a stairway made us
Still fixed remaineth as he was before.
Upon this side he fell down out of heaven;
And all the land, that whilom here emerged,
For fear of him made of the sea a veil,
And came to our hemisphere; and peradventure
To flee from him, what on this side appears
Left the place vacant here, and back recoiled.”
A place there is below, from Beelzebub
As far receding as the tomb extends,
Which not by sight is known, but by the sound
Of a small rivulet, that there descendeth
Through chasm within the stone, which it has gnawed
With course that winds about and slightly falls.
The Guide and I into that hidden road
Now entered, to return to the bright world;
And without care of having any rest
We mounted up, he first and I the second,
Till I beheld through a round aperture
Some of the beauteous things that Heaven doth bear;
Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.
Spy Wednesday: Display 30 silver pieces at home
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew 26:15. Before the Last Supper, Judas went to the chief priests and agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for 30 silver coins and to attempted to return the money afterwards, filled with remorse.
The Gospel of Matthew tells that the subsequent purchase of the potter’s field was fulfilment by Jesus of a prophecy of Zechariah.
The image has often been used in artwork depicting the Passion of Christ. The phrase is used in literature and common speech to refer to people “selling out”, compromising a trust, friendship, or loyalty for personal gain.
Try displaying 30 pieces of silver at home and tell the story of Judas’ betrayal.