Passion Week
April 14, 2022
Dear Children of God how are you? Praise to the Almighty for His mercy and will to keep us alive and peace!
Children, we hope you are well and strong throughout these fasting weeks. How is school and life at home? We assume you are behaving as well as Christian children obeying and respecting you father, mother, siblings and you other elders.
Dear Children! Today we are going to teach you about the last week of ‘The Great Fast’ which is called ‘Passion Week.’
Passion Week is the last week of ‘The Great Fast’ which comes after Palm Sunday from Monday to Saturday.
Children, the days of this week are the remembrance of all the pain that Our Lord Jesus Christ bare to save us. Therefore, during this week we are expected to pray and bow down much begging for mercy from God.
All Christians begin bowing from the first day (Monday) which commemorates Lord Jesus Christ’s prayer and bowing at Gethsemane before He was captured up to the fifth day (Friday) which Lord Jesus Christ was Crucified. (Matthew 26: 39)
Holy Monday (Anointing of Jesus) – The day Lord Jesus Christ preached (taught) in the ‘Holy Temple’ after He cleansed it from changers around is called ‘Holy Monday.’ He was praised by local children on this day. He also cursed a fig tree at hit because it didn’t bare any fruit on this Holy Day. (Matthew 21:12–22)
Holy Tuesday (Predictions of Jesus)– Lord Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees and Sadducees about issues related with marriage in heaven, paying taxes to Caesar, and the source of His authority in this day. So it is commemorated as ‘Holy Tuesday.’ (Matthew 21:23-23:39, Mark 11:27-12:44, Luke 20:1-21:4)
Lord Jesus also explained about donation exemplifying the widow’s (a woman whose husband has died) donation on this day. This story is written in Holy Bible as follows. “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44) After this, Lord Jesus was approached by a number of God-fearing people.
Holy Wednesday (Betrayal of Jesus by Judas)
The third day of Passion Week is called ‘Holy Wednesday.’ This day is remembrance of Judas, who spied Lord Jesus for capitulating for Roman soldiers. Judas is identified as a traitor, the one who betrays Jesus.
Maundy Thursday: – Lord Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles on this Holy Day. Accordingly, it is commemorated through the Liturgy service a Holy Church on which the Priest washes the feet of the faithful saying the prayer of thanksgiving. (John 13:1-20)
Dear Children, This day is celebrated our country Ethiopia by preparing ‘Gulban’ with split beans and wheat. The food is prepared in exemplary to the Israelites consuming unleavened bread (baked without leaven/yeast or baking powder) during their migration from Egyptian. The children of Israel left Egypt hastily and they did not have time for the bread to rise. So it was made on the first Passover (Holiday) without leaven. (Exodus 12:39)
Gulban is said to be eaten in order to mourn for Lord Jesus during his capitulation. This is in keeping the Ethiopian custom of preparing a type of food made of split beans called ‘Nefro’ in memorializing the death of beloved ones.
Good Friday: Good Friday is the day Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for the salvation (saving people from the punishment of everlasting fire) of human beings. Therefore, all Christians go to Holy Church to plead, bow and commemorate the day that Lord Jesus Christ defeated the scam (bad plan) of enemy Satan.
All the Holy Icons, instruments and symbols in the Passion Week are publicly shown covered in black curtain in the Holy Church. The Priests who lead the ritual wear black vestments. The entire scared objects including the altar (table where the flesh and the blood of Lord Jesus Christ is served) are also covered with a black cloth in remembering of the dark centuries (years) of Adam’s division from God.
Holy Saturday: The seventh day of the Passion Week is ‘Holy Saturday.’ Saturday is known as ‘kidame’ Su‘ur” in Amharic to mean ‘unobserved’ for unlike other Saturdays of the year, it became a fasting day. It is also known to be ‘Green Saturday’ for on this day the ‘Sedge’ is given to the people as the symbol of good news.
Dear Children, be reminded that during Passion week Priests do not give blessings to the believers, we are prohibited to kiss the Holy and Greetings amongst Christians is also inhibited as a remembrance of Judas’s betrayal of Lord after he kissed Him. The Priests start blessing their children by the cross at the dawn of Friday when because Lord Jesus liberated Adam who was imprisoned by Devil.
Dear Children! Be aware of this Liturgy and spend your time of these five days at Holy Church.
Fare well children! We hope you stay well and good until we meet the next time.
Till then Good bye!