Holy Week

OBJECTIVE

Holy Week is the week preceding the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It begins on the eve of Monday, after Palm Sunday, and ends on Good Friday. During the Holy Passion Week, the Church actually sees in the sufferings of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Although we pray with a melancholy tune during Pascha Week, yet our hearts rejoice as we follow the Passion of the Savior. We see the power and love of our Good Savior in His pain. Through the sufferings of our Good Savior, we see our salvation. By His own will and because of His love for us, Christ suffered for us.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes

Option One: Watch a Review of Holy Week

Watch this concise review of the Holy Week, published by our church in Australia (11 minutes).

Option Two: Road Map through Pascha

Open Hook, Option Two and show the students the road map of Holy Week. Read each landmark on the map in chronological order and call on students to tell you what they remember of each story.

Option Three: How does the Church look Different

Open Hook, Option Three and show the students the photo of the church during Pascha week. Have them find three major differences between what the church looks like on an annual Sunday compared to Pascha. Encourage participation with praise and compliments. Direct them to notice the black banners, the crucifixion in the front of the altar, the closed altar curtain, and the deacons on the lower level of the church.

Option Four: Sing "Thok Te Ti Gom"

Sing the hymn together as a class. Explain how we sing this hymn in praise of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout Pascha week.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Memory Verse: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." (John 11:25)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 15 Minutes

Monday of Pascha Week

On Holy Monday, our Lord walked with His disciples from Bethany to Jerusalem. On the way, they passed a fig tree full of leaves. Usually when a fig tree has lots of leaves that means there is fruit ready to eat. Jesus went up to the tree to find some figs, but found none, only leaves. So He cursed the tree, that no one would ever eat fruit from it again. The next day, when they passed the tree again, they found the tree completely dried up, even to the roots (Mark 11:12-24).

Jesus teaches us two lessons from this fig tree. He reminds us that if we ask anything in faith, like the mountain to move, that it will happen. Christ also warns us not to be like the fig tree. If the fig tree was a person it would look like it loved Jesus only on the outside, but its heart was empty. Jesus wants our lives to be full of fruit, like sharing with our brothers and sisters, helping our parents without complaining, and keeping the church neat and clean.

Tuesday of Pascha Week

On Holy Tuesday, Jesus reminds us that this earth is not our everlasting home. Heaven is our true home. Our Lord tells stories, called parables that create a picture in our mind of an important lesson. One parable is about a man who goes on a trip, but before he leaves he gives three servants talents. The first two servants take the talents and use them wisely to get even more. But the third servant buries his talents.

When the master comes home, he calls the three servants and asks them what they did with their talents. He rewards the first two servants for working hard and making good choices. He tells each of them, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." But the third servant, who buried his talent, is punished for wasting the talent (Matthew 25:14-46). In this parable, the master of the servants is Jesus and we are His servants. When we use the gifts that Jesus gives us for doing good, He will be happy with us and reward us in Heaven and Earth.

Tuesday night or the eve of Wednesday, we read another parable that reminds us to think about being ready for Heaven. This parable is about a wedding celebration where the groom is delayed from joining his guests. There were ten girls who were getting ready for the celebration, five girls were wise (or smart) and five were foolish (or not smart). The wise girls brought their lamps, with oil, to light them when it got dark. The foolish ones brought their lamps, but with no oil. As the girls waited, they all fell asleep. Finally, the groom arrived and a shout went out in the streets. Quickly, the five wise girls lit their lamps using the oil they wisely brought with them. The foolish ones realized their mistake and asked to borrow oil from their friends. The wise girls had to say no, because there would not be enough for all of them.

By the time the foolish ones went to the market to buy oil for their lamps, the door to the wedding was locked and would not be opened again. Because they were not ready, they missed their chance to attend the wedding with the groom. (St. Matthew 25:1-13) Like all parables that Jesus tells us, there is an important lesson to learn. In this story, the wedding is Heaven and the groom is Jesus. We must decide to bring oil for our lamps, which are good deeds. Our hope and prayer is that we can be ready to enter the Heavenly Kingdom with the True Bridegroom.

Wednesday Night of Pascha Week

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, but on Holy Wednesday he committed a terrible sin. His love for money made him betray our Lord Jesus Christ. To betray means to break a friendship or promise. He spoke with the chief priests and agreed to betray his Lord to them for thirty pieces of silver (Luke 22:1-6). The same day, while Jesus was at the house of Simon in Bethany, a woman came to Jesus with a jar of an expensive perfume and anointed His head (St. Matthew 26:3-16).

This day gives us two people who treated Jesus very differently. Judas Iscariot was Jesus' disciple and friend, but because he had the sin of loving money in his heart, Judas betrayed Jesus. On the other hand, this unnamed woman used her money to buy expensive perfume to pour on Jesus' head. We pray to be like that woman and use all our talents to pour the love and kindness that Jesus has shown us back to Him and everyone we meet.

Thursday of Pascha Week

On Thursday, Jesus attends the traditional Feast of Passover in Jerusalem with His disciples. Our tradition tells us that Peter and John prepared the meal for them in the upper room of St. Mark's house. To show His disciples the importance of service in their leaders, Jesus Christ took a towel and a large bowl of water and began to wash the feet of each of His disciples.

Afterwards, Jesus shared the very first communion with His disciples. This is when our Lord taught us how to pray the Liturgy and share in holy communion, the Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" (St. Matthew 26:26-28)

That night, the eve of Friday, Jesus went with His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. There He prayed for many hours for Himself, His disciples, and He even prayed for us Around midnight, Judas Iscariot came to the garden with many soldiers and weapons to arrest Jesus. Judas had told the soldiers, "Whomever I kiss,He is the One". So Judas betrayed his Lord with a kiss and Jesus was arrested. (St. Mark 14:43-46)

Friday of Pascha Week

Early on Friday morning, Jesus was put on trial several times before the chief priests, Pontius Pilate, and Herod Antipas. Of course, Jesus did nothing wrong and no one could say anything true that was bad, so they lied. Our Lord and Savior was ready to die for us, so He allowed the soldiers to tie Him up and take Him from place to place. Jesus answered Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (St. John 18:36).

Neither Herod or Pilate wanted to sentence Him to death, but the Jewish people shouted, "Crucify Him" (Luke 23:21) Pilate washed his hands, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person You see to it" (Matthew 27:24). Our Lord Jesus Christ allowed all of this because He loves us and He wanted to take this punishment away from us. Only Christ can conquer and be victorious over death, so He lovingly took away our own punishment and suffered Himself.

Around noon (the Sixth Hour) on Friday, Jesus carried His Cross, with the help of a man named Simon the Cyrene, out of Jerusalem and up a hill called Golgotha. They removed His clothes again, dividing it between the soldiers and making bets for His robe. Then they nailed Him to the Cross and put a sign on it that said, "King of the Jews" in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. They rose the Cross up on the hill, with two criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. (St. John 19:13-27)

In the Twelfth Hour (about 6:00pm or sunset), we sing a beautiful verse from Psalms 45:6, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom." This verse reminds us again that this earth is only for a short while and that Heaven is our forever home with Jesus. When Jesus died on the Cross, He opened the gates of Heaven and welcomes us home again. Jesus is buried in a tomb with the help of His friends, Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus. (John 19:38-42) But He will only be in the tomb for three days. On Sunday is the Resurrection, when Jesus Christ shows us He is alive again

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

Open the Discussion Icon and show the students. This icon is full of story elements and symbols, encourage the children to share their observations and thoughts. Some things to guide them to see:

  • St Mary and the women of the ministry followed our Lord Jesus Christ to the cross
  • St John the Beloved was the only disciple to follow our Lord to the cross
  • St John raises incense, in reference to our Lord's death as an aroma to God
  • The soldiers on the left hand corner are gambling for his robe, just like prophesied
  • The centurion on the right hand corner acknowledges that our Lord is the Son of God
  • Two soldiers around our Lord, one offering vinegar and the other pierced His side
  • The right hand thief wears white to show his salvation
  • The left hand thief wears green to show his sin
  • The Old Testament fathers and mothers rejoice in God's salvation in the Resurrection
  • The sun and moon above the wall go dark during the crucifixion
  • The angels mourn for the suffering of our Savior

LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes

During the Holy Pascha Week, we simultaneously see in front of us the suffering Christ, as well as the Powerful Christ. In human terms, suffering and power are contradictory states, since the suffering person is in a state of weakness. As for Christ, the incarnate God, He suffered while He was in a state of power.

Our ways will not always match the ways of the world. Where the world sees weakness or gullibility, we see faith and power in the Cross. Let us always keep our eyes on the cross and not on the world around us.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Option 1: Negative Space Cross

(This project can be done as a class or individually.)

Materials: white construction paper, washable paint, blue painters tape

  1. Tape the shape of a cross with blue painters tape on a sheet of paper.
  2. Paint handprints or fingerprints all around the tape.
  3. Once the paint is dry, lift off the tape to see the white shape of the cross underneath.
  4. Discuss how our Lord's death on the cross has the power to wash away our sins.

Option Two: Pascha Week Timeline

Distribute the two separate sheets of the Pascha Week Timeline to each student. Have them color and cut out the eight squares on the second sheet. Next, have the students glue the squares in the correct order on the Pascha Week table. Make sure they write their names on their page so they can take it home to practice their memory verse.

Option Three: Roadmap through the Gospel

Distribute copies of the Roadmap through Gospel attachment to each student. Cut out the squares and glue them on the road in the correct order in which they happened. Read the Gospel passages to match each event to the corresponding tile. These events relate to Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Have the students take it home to review the events of Pascha at home.

Option Four: Hours of Good Friday

Materials: paper plates, markers, pens

Recreate a clock on a paper plate. Label what happened to our Lord at each time with the canonical hour (i.e. first hour, third hour, etc). Please use the photo as a guide only, the information listed below is more accurate.

  • 7am (first light): First Hour-The Lord is put on trial
  • 9am: Third Hour-Crown of Thorns and Sentenced to death
  • 12pm (noon): Sixth Hour-The Lord is crucified
  • 3pm: Ninth Hour-Our Lord gives up His Spirit
  • 5pm: Eleventh Hour-Earthquake and Veil is torn
  • 6pm: Twelfth Hour-Our Lord is buried in the tomb

SERVANT RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

During the journey of Holy Pascha Week, we praise our suffering Christ and glorify our powerful Christ saying, "Thine is the power, the glory, the blessing, the majesty forever." Practice singing "Thok Te Ti Gom" with your child throughout the week. Try to attend as many Pascha services as possible, as a family.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Discussion Icon (Grade 3-5 Holy Week).pdf

Hook, Option Two (Grade 3-5 Holy Week).pdf

Pascha Week Timeline (Grade 3-5 Holy Week).pdf