RCIA Lesson 9: The Last 7 Commandments



RCIA Session 12: Holy Week, and the Paschal Mystery

(Tuesday, March 30: Tuesday of Holy Week)

Opening Song: “O Sacred Head, Surrounded” (St. Michael’s Hymnal, #464)

Summary: “The days of Holy Week, the week which commemorates the last days before the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus, are the holiest days in the year—the heart of the Church calendar. They contain the core mysteries of our redemption—the ____________________, ____________, __________________________ and ____________________ of Our Lord Jesus Christ—which are collectively called the ________________ ________________. Through Christ’s free choice to undergo them for us, our otherwise certain damnation was broken, and the gates of Heaven opened to us again.”

1. Jesus shows the way to eternal life by ____________ the way; He shows us that we gain eternal life not by going ______________ pain and death, but by going ________________ it.

In its most basic structure, Holy Week consists of seven days:

1) Palm Sunday (now combined with “Passion Sunday”)

2) Monday of Holy Week

3) Tuesday of Holy Week

4) Wednesday of Holy Week (sometimes called “Spy Wednesday”)

5) Holy Thursday (sometimes called “Maundy Thursday”)

◦ anniversary of the Last Supper & arrest of Jesus (stripping of altar)

◦ Chrism Mass in La Crosse (blessing of sacred oils by Bishop, priestly renewal of vows)

◦ “Could you not watch with Me for even an hour?” (adoration until Midnight, after Mass)

6) Good Friday (fast, and abstain from flesh meat)

◦ no Masses of any kind; Holy Communion given today was consecrated yesterday

◦ veneration of the cross

7) Holy Saturday (continue fast until evening)

◦ Easter Vigil (highest event of the entire Church year!) begins the season of Easter

In the course of the traditional Paschal (“Passover”) Seder—the ceremonial Paschal meal—the father and the family recite the mystery of redemption. (Please join in where it says “group”, in bold print):

Son: Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights, we eat either leavened bread or matzah; on this night--only matzah.

On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs; on this night, we especially eat bitter herbs.

On all other nights, we do not dip herbs at all; on this night we dip them twice.

On all other nights, we eat in an ordinary manner; tonight we dine with special ceremony.

Father: There are many questions. Now we begin to answer. Our history moves from slavery toward freedom. Our narration begins with degradation and rises to dignity. Our service opens with the rule of evil and advances toward the Kingdom of God. This is our theme:

Group: We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Had not the Holy One, praised be He, delivered our people from Egypt, then we, our children and our children’s children would still be enslaved.

Father: For the sake of our redemption, we say together the ancient words which join us with our own people and with all who are in need, with the wrongly imprisoned and the beggar on the street. For our redemption is bound up with the deliverance from bondage of people everywhere.

Group: Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in want share in the hope of Passover. As we celebrate here, we join with our people everywhere. This year we celebrate here. Next year in the land of Israel. Now we are still in bonds. Next year may all be free. For redemption is not yet complete.

There were also several “seemingly minor details” of the Paschal Seder which God wanted fulfilled by every participant--on pain of expulsion from the community altogether(!):

• The sacrificial lamb was to be “spotless”--without fault or blemish (Exodus 12:5).

• None of the lamb’s bones were to be broken (Exodus 12:46).

• The lamb was to be sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month, with the community present (Exodus 12:6).

• The lamb was to be killed at twilight (Exodus 12:6).

• This Paschal lamb was to be eaten, or the Passover would be incomplete (Exodus 12:8-10).

The prophets foretold the coming of a Messiah (“Anointed One”, or Savior) Who would:

• be of the House of David, and Who will rule on the throne of David forever (Isaiah 9:6)

• be without the spiritual blemish of sin (Isaiah 53:9)

• pay the price for the guilt of all others by suffering and dying (Isaiah 53:4-12)

• be God Himself (Isaiah 7:14, 9:5)

In John 19:36 it describes how the other criminals who were crucified with Jesus had their legs broken to speed their deaths, so that the bodies might not be on the cross during the solemn Passover; but since Jesus was already dead, his legs were not broken. “None of the Paschal Lamb’s bones were to be broken.” (Exodus 12:46)

In John 19:14, it describes the day of Jesus’ death as the day before the solemn Passover—which was the fourteenth day of the first month of the year (Luke 23:54, etc.)

In Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:33-37, Luke 23:44-46: since the Pascal lamb was to be sacrificed in twilight, the sun darkened itself so that the Messiah might fulfill this command, as well.

John 8:46, Hebrews 4:15: the Messiah was a “lamb without blemish” by being without sin.

Mysteries of the Rosary:

The 5th Luminous Mystery: the Institution of the Most Holy ____________________.

The 1st Sorrowful Mystery: the ____________ in the Garden

The 2nd Sorrowful Mystery: the ____________________ at the Pillar

The 3rd Sorrowful Mystery: the Crowning with ______________

The 4th Sorrowful Mystery: the Carrying of the ____________

The 5th Sorrowful Mystery: the ________________________

The 1st Glorious Mystery: the __________________________

The 2nd Glorious Mystery: the ____________________ of Our Lord into Heaven

2. Ever since the fall of our first parents, we had been living under a double-curse: we were powerless to stop ________________, and we were powerless to regain the eternal __________ which we had lost. Jesus defeated our curse of sin by taking it upon _______________ and paying the ultimate price for us—and then He defeated the curse of death itself by ______________ from the dead, never to die again (cf. Romans 6:9).

CD Song: “Crown Him” (Michael Card)

[refrain 1]

Crown Him, crown Him

The angry people cried

Crown Him, crown Him

Let Him be crucified

Crown Him, crown Him

Let Him not remain alive

Crown Him, crown Him

He must be crucified

So a circle of pain and love

Came down upon His head—

It was not for anything He’d done

Or for anything He’d said

For all His life He’d sought to show

They were only living a lie

But they didn’t care to hear or know

They just wanted Him to die

[repeat refrain 1]

Soon the circle of glory

Will be placed upon His brow

And He’ll come to reign forever

Though it may not seem so now

And our time of tears and trouble—

Will seem only like a dream

As we stand before the glory

Of our Savior and our King

[refrain 2]

Crown Him, crown Him

Holy angels sing

All glory, honor, power and praise

Will crown the King of Kings

Crown Him, crown Him

Those redeemed and damned

Will bow the knee and humbly

Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb”

Discussion Questions:

1) On what day is Mass never offered, and why not?

2) When is the altar stripped, and why?

3) Why is “Good Friday” called “good”?

4) What’s the origin of, “Could you not watch with me for even an hour?”

5) What other questions do you have?

Take-Home Activity: Find an occasion to pray at least one decade of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (see below), and think about the words. This is especially fitting on Good Friday.

Treasure Hunt: Attend as many Holy Week services as you can—especially Holy Thursday Mass, the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday—and as you watch and listen, try to identify at least one prophecy—referenced in the Liturgy—which Jesus fulfilled, and be ready to share it with us when we meet again on the Tuesday of the Easter Octave.

Closing Prayer: Chaplet of Divine Mercy [repeat the 2nd portion (“Have mercy, etc.”) 10 times]

Leader: “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ”…

Response: “…in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world.”

Leader: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion,”

Response: “Have mercy on us, and on the whole world.”

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TRIDUUM

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