Holy Week

A year has passed and here we are, again, at Palm Sunday, the day that we cry out with our own voices, "Crucify him!"—reminding us that we bear the guilt for His wounds and death, He who gave himself as a victim out of love.

This year, I spent the Gospel in the mothers' room at the back of our church, nursing a wriggly baby who refused to sit still. Yet the force and meaning of this day—of the palms waving in the air, of the statues throughout the church veiled in purple cloth—was at the forefront of my mind.

Now that I am a mother, I find that I spend a lot of time thinking about which of the countless possible traditions I want to incorporate into our home and family life throughout the liturgical year. Our baby is still too young to know or remember what we do, so I still have time to figure it out, and I want to choose wisely.

This year, we are planning to attend a Tenebrae service on Wednesday night. On Holy Thursday, after evening Mass, we have big plans to visit 7 churches in our city, provided the baby cooperates. Have you ever done the 7 Church Visitation? I didn't grow up with this tradition, but high school friends introduced me to it, and I love the chance to check out some of the beautiful, new-to-me churches in my city of Chicago, which is known for its breathtaking church architecture. On Good Friday we will attend Stations of the Cross and I will probably make hot cross buns for Holy Saturday. Maybe dye some eggs too. Holy Saturday we hope to attend the Easter Vigil, my favorite liturgy of the year, and Sunday will be full of family and feasting at my mom's famous Easter brunch.

I'm curious to know, what are your favorite traditions for Holy Week and the Easter season? How will you be celebrating these holy days both personally and with your community?