HOLY WEEK & EASTER

Holy Week and Easter is the most sacred time in the Church's year.
It is the time when we join with Jesus and share the last week of his life - the last supper, the denial by his friends, his arrest, trial and crucifixion, and his resurrection.  We can share fully in all of these events by joining in the special services. 
We hope that you will be able to attend some, if not all, of these services as we prepare to celebrate the Good News of Jesus' victory over sin, death and evil on Easter Day.

PALM SUNDAY

On this day, the Sunday before Easter, we remember how Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem to face his trial and death mounted on a donkey.  People spread palm branches on the road in front of him and shouted, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
After the blessing and distribution of palms we process around the Church grounds before the Parish Mass.   Later that morning, we join with Christians from other churches in Poplar to process through the streets, hopefully with the donkey and palm branches to witness to the beginning of our Holy Week.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

The lunchtime programme will be repeated in the evening. 
The Eucharist will include a walk around the Stations of the Cross in the Church. 

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Tonight we remember the meal Jesus ate with his disciples - the Last Supper - before going to the Mount of Olives where he was deserted by his friends and arrested.  At that meal Jesus gave us an example of how we should love and serve each other by washing his disciples’ feet, a job usually done by the least important servant.  At our Sung Mass we re-enact the feet washing ceremony and we break bread and drink wine as we take Holy Communion and obey his commands to love each other and to remember him.

At the end of the service the Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession to the Altar of Repose, which reminds us of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last night in prayer before he was betrayed.  The Church is stripped bare and we take it in turns to remain there, watching and praying with Jesus.
Saint Nicholas Centre will stay open until midnight. At All Saints, the Church will stay open all night.

GOOD FRIDAY

This is the most solemn day of the Church's year.  The Liturgy of the Day re-enacts the suffering and death of Our Lord as we hear the story of Jesus' passion from the Gospel.  A large crucifix is carried in procession through the Church and we are invited to come to the foot of the cross and to venerate it, for the cross reminds us of the helplessness Jesus felt (and that we all feel) in the face of suffering.  We bring to the cross our sins and the evil in the world, and we offer ourselves to God who shares in our pain, our suffering and our failure.  The Blessed Sacrament is collected from the Altar of Repose and after Communion we leave the Church in silence.
Refreshments are served in the Crypt after this service.

EASTER DAY

5.30am             Blessing of the new fire, the Easter Vigil and Liturgy
At this early hour in darkness we gather on the Church steps to bless the new fire of Easter.  This is a sign that Jesus has risen from the dead and is the Light of the world.  We light the new Easter Candle and it is carried into the dark Church.  We each light our candles from it to show that we share in this new light.  We hear the account from Bible readings of God's saving work throughout history, and we carry the lighted Easter Candle to the Font where we renew our Baptism vows.
As the sun comes up, we loudly proclaim that "Christ is risen" as we sing the Gloria and continue with the first Mass of Easter.
This service is followed by breakfast in the Crypt.

 Procession and Sung Mass  at both churches
We begin the usual Sunday Parish Eucharist with a procession around the Church to celebrate the triumph of Jesus over sin, death and evil.
We renew our Baptism vows at this service, too, as we do at the Holy Communion service at 8.30am.

All confirmed Christians should make their
Communion 24-Dec-2008bsp;