Because of Covid-19, this Holy Week will be unlike any other. Father Dave and Team Busted Halo discuss celebrating Holy Week at home and how to make it special.
“For the last few days or weeks, people have been holding out some hope,” Father Dave says. “As Holy Week got closer, I think most people got into the reality that no, it’s probably not going to happen the way we think it’s going to happen or the way we’d like it to happen … We now know that Holy Week is not going to be the same. So essentially we have a choice. We can either cross our arms and say ‘I don’t like it,’ or we can roll with the punches … What’s our other option? All of us as Catholics have to get serious. We get to make the choice now. In the back of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses says, ‘I set before you today, life or death, choose life.’
“You can choose to say, ‘Well, now it just feels like some other week or I don’t want to watch it on my laptop’ … I think the initial step has got to be that choice in our hearts that says I can do this. This is up to me … We can choose how we will genuinely enter into the passion, suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord because that’s important for us to do spiritually. If I can’t do it exactly the way I’m normally used to doing it, how can I do it this year? I think we got to choose that. If we haven’t done that already, we have to start right now.”
Christina shares her thoughts on celebrating Holy Week from home, “I think it’s okay to admit that we’re disappointed,” she says. “However, it is still important that we find the motivation to try and make these days holy in the best way that we can. I just want to say to everyone out there, I’m disappointed with you. We are all disappointed together, but it doesn’t mean that we still can’t make the most of it, and we still can’t receive graces from this time. Let’s figure out practically what we can do from home. Of course, I can livestream Mass. I can join virtual holy hours or different kinds of liturgy of the hours … I also have a friend who told me that growing up, their parents made everyone be silent from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Good Friday. There was no talking in the house. No TV, no radio, there was nothing. It was just complete observing silence and reflecting on Jesus’ passion. And I thought that was so beautiful and I was like, okay, that’s something that I could totally do this Good Friday.”
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“I think there are plenty of things we can do, whether it be just sitting down to journal about how you’re feeling about this and being honest with God. Being honest with yourself about it, but recognizing that God is still with us. It sounds weird to say this, but it kind of is on us to have our own Holy week.”
Father Dave points out that there are certain traditions we can still practice at home, “There are basic rituals during the Triduum that we can do from home, like the washing of feet. It doesn’t have to happen in a church. That doesn’t have to happen with just priests. Also, venerating and showing love and respect to the cross. I hope every one of us has got a cross in our home now.”
Father Dave also explains that we should get ready to celebrate and pray at home, just like we would for Mass. He points out the importance of getting dressed and having a space ready, so that it doesn’t feel as if we are spectators, but that we are actively participating.
“Just because this Holy week is different and it feels like we can’t participate. It doesn’t make the week any less holy.” Christina says. “It’s important to remember that we are all doing this together. You’re not alone.”