This was written as a live journal during Holy Week 2005, my last Holy Week as an Anglican. My affiliation has changed but, so far as I remember, the sentiments remain vaild.

Full Holy Week Schedule with all Offices

Holy Week Brochure (PDF)

Palm Sunday

At the High Mass of Sunday, the two-and-a-half hour, pre 1955 Ceremonies and High Mass of Palm Sunday began at 11:00 a.m. Perhaps most notable in the rite is the blessing of the palms in a series of six collects that includes the phrase, "For, as at this time, the multitude by the inspiration of thy heavenly light went forth to meet their Redeemer, and strawed branches of palm and olive in his way, thereby in the branches of palm foreshadowing his triumph over the prince of death and by the boughs of olive proclaiming that the anointing of the Spirit was come." (Read the collects here.)

Added 3/30 Video clip of Palm Sunday Procession (12 meg Windows movie file. Left click to play or right click to download and save.)

Wednesday in Holy Week

Tonight the offices of the Triduum begin with Tenebrae of Maundy Thursday. Tenebrae is matins and lauds of the day with many of the characteristic versicles and responses, such as the Gloria Patri, ommitted. The office takes on a stark character and preserves many simpler, more ancient forms. (Read more ...)

PDF of Texts Tenebrae of Maundy Thursday

Photos from Tenebrae of Maundy Thursday

Morning of Maundy Thursday

When I arrived at 6:30 this morning, the preparation of the Repository was well under way. I helped carry in flowers and help set up the votive stands before going down to the Crypt for the hours. (Read more...)

PDF of Maundy Thursday Service Sheet

Photos from Maundy Thursday 2004

Afternoon of Maundy Thursday

The repository finished, Paul Goings and I went to the Cathedral for the Bishop's Mass. It was a fairly standard middle-of-the-road Eucharist with the bishop washing the feet of the clergy, though this year we were deprived of seeing Canon Reid in the Jedi cape that members of the Chapter wear at Cathedral liturgies. I figure there were 80-90 present, about two-thirds of them priests. This year there were stations for communion so there was no need to whisper in the bishop's ear as he came around the circle that we weren't receiving because we'd receive that night at S. Clement's.. (Read more...)

Evening of Maundy Thursday

It is near 1:00 a.m. as I write this entry. The Mass, Procession to the Altar of Repose, Stripping of the Altars, and the Maundy all went well. Every year I look forward to this night. It has been a favorite since I first saw the Triduum at the Advent in Boston when I was 23. I was only a torch bearer and carrying one of the poles of the Blessed Sacrament's canopy, so I could relax and be part of the whole thing. (Read more...)

Morning of Good Friday

Today is always the hard day: late night followed by early morning tenebrae, the liturgy of Good Friday then the beginnings of the Easter Vigil set up. You begin to feel a little like one of those sleep deprived cult members, though the payoff from the 20th Street Gulag is much more tangible and immediate. (Read more...)

Afternoon of Good Friday

After tenebrae came rehearsal for the Good Friday liturgy. This is the most complex of the week's observances. Several of the ceremonies-the Veneration of the Cross, the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified-are one of a kind. Add to this the intensity of the texts liturgy and this is a difficult couple of hours. The ministers have to listen to the singing of the passion then do things that they only do once a year. (Read more...)

PDF of Good Friday Service Sheet

Photos from Good Friday 2004

Holy Saturday

This one is going to have to be short-a bad power supply on my laptop has thrown off the day's schedule.

Tenebrae at 7:00 a.m. this morning, the crucifix on the altar unveiled as were all the others in the church on Good Friday. Psalm 15 caught my attention in particular:

(Read more...)

PDF of Easter Vigil Service Sheet

Photos from the Easter Vigil of 2004

The Easter Vigil is all of salvation history from the creation to the resurrection compressed into three hours. It is one of the most perfectly conceived and effective rites in any of the world's religions. Michael, our scheduled thurifer was ill, so I was shuffled around to second acolyte-a good position from which to observe. (Read more...)

Postscript on the Easter Vigil

The Vigil always holds a special place in my heart. As I mentioned earlier, I first saw the Triduum at the Church of the Advent in Boston as a 23 year-old graduate student. I remember getting there fifteen minutes before the service with two friends and barely finding a seat for three in the back then becoming aware of the feeling of anticipation in the darkened church. As the vigil unfolded, I remember thinking this is it, this is what it's all about, it's real. (Read more...)

Easter Day

Devoted as I am to the Vigil, Easter Day is the big day at S. Clement's as it was and still is in most places. I arrived late for 7:00 a.m. matins and lauds, wax from last night's taper accident still coating my left sleeve. Four of us flew through the short matins of Easter Day, enjoying the restoration of the Te Deum and the antiphon, "This is the day which the Lord hath made." I think that a childhood Christmas morning is the only thing we have left to us in the broader culture that can touch the joy and excitement of Easter morning. (Read more...)

PDF of Easter Day Service Sheet

Photos from the Easter Day 2004

The Easter Garden waiting to be planted.

Easter Monday

It is gray and drizzling this morning in Philadelphia. The weather held just long enough for us to get through Easter. The last stray plants for the garden will have to wait until later in the week. Marc Coleman, our photographer and webmaster should have the week's photos up soon so that you can really see what it all looked like. He has a gift for catching the small details that give the feel of things.

For five days, I have given no thought to the roilings of global Anglicanism and lost track of the top stories on CNN. Holy Week and Easter exist outside of time and can still take us outside of ourselves if we are able to let them. (Read more...)

Leaving S. Clement's on Easter Day.