Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. It is the eleventh hour of the Lenten journey. It is still Lent, and there is still time to have a Holy Lent.

On Palm Sunday, we participate in events that happened two thousand years ago. The liturgy and the Spirit take us to Jerusalem where we stand beside the road and greet our Lord, "Hosanna in the highest!" He descends from the Mt. Of Olives and rides into Jerusalem. We’re part of the cheering crowd.

In the garden we stand aside as He’s arrested. We follow Judas and the soldiers to a mock trial. We’re pensive as we see His disciples betray and deny Him. We’re quiet as Pilate questions Him. Then we take our place in the crowd and cry, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Palm Sunday is the story of the Passion of Jesus. And the story leaves us sitting in the dank darkness of death, waiting.

On Wednesday evening of Holy Week, we’ll mourn during the Tenebrae. The word is Latin for, "darkness." This service is a prelude to the events of our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection. As the candles are extinguished during the readings, and darkness prevails, you’ll sense the pending dread of His pain and crucifixion.

Finally, the Sacrament is removed, and the altar is stripped in remembrance of His lacerated body. Christians all over the world leave this service in silence, and many of them will begin a fast until Easter.

Tomorrow is the darkest day.

On Good Friday we remember the events of the crucifixion. Eucharist is not celebrated on this day. The Good Friday liturgy picks up where Maundy Thursday left off. The sanctuary is stark and barren. Prayers are said and we venerate the cross.

This service is a palpable reminder of what Jesus yielded to, of what God the Father submitted Him to by allowing humanity to kill His only Son. It is a deeply moving experience. Then we leave the church in silence, without dismissal. The fast continues and we mourn the wait

Holy Saturday is an empty day. It is the day that Jesus was in the tomb. All creation groans for His resurrection and the waiting is prolonged.

However, that night, during the Great Easter Vigil, we share in Jesus’ victory over sin, death and the devil. Satan and his minions are vanquished by the new fire, the light of Christ that’s kindled and blessed in the narthex.

While basking in the new light of the candles, the story of God’s conquest is told, beginning with the creation story, and continuing through the other major Old Testament stories of salvation. Each reading is followed by a psalm and a prayer. They remind us of the mighty saving acts of God.

This is the most ancient liturgy of the church year. We pass from death to life with our Lord. This is the purpose of the incarnation. It’s why Christ came into the world. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (2:14)" And through the sacrament and the liturgy we participate in this victory.

During Easter Vigil, we renew our baptismal vows. We call on our Mother the Church to rejoice in the triumph, vindication and resurrection of Christ. The readings draw us out of linear time into liturgical time as we join with Christians past, present, and future who are all celebrating Easter.

During this service bells are rung and the organ plays. The church is flooded with light. The veil is withdrawn from the altar and the crosses. We have, at long last, emerged from our Lenten fast. Lent is finally over. The fasting is finished. It’s time to feast. Amen.