In a few short weeks, before we know it, Holy Week will be upon us. Yearly, this is the “week of all weeks” in the Church calendar, as we enter, with Christ, into the last week of His earthly life, His death, and His resurrection.
Particularly for the clergy family, Holy Week is a time of both immense blessings and heightened challenges. No week during the year demands more of priests, presvyteres, and clergy families than Holy Week.
For the sake of supporting one another, please share practices and strategies you have instituted in your families to prepare for and enter into the sacred events of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection. Some specific questions you may consider in responding are:
- What do you do in the home as a couple/family to observe this holiest of weeks?
- How do the priest and presvytera support one another during Holy Week, understanding the additional responsibilities each is called to bear?
- How do you decide which services the entire family will attend, especially if you have young children?
- What do you do prior to Holy Week so that family and household responsibilities are eased some during Holy Week?
- Given the reality that life goes on during holy week — the children still have school, homework and activities; the wife who works outside the home still has to go to work; household chores and responsibilities must be attended to, etc.—how do you manage?
I try to do a little preparation ahead of Holy Week. I make a few dishes to freeze; I let our teens and their coaches/carpool know that we will not be available on Thursday or Friday.The kids honestly don’t struggle with this; we have a youth retreat at church on Holy Friday and they love it. I make sure everybody’s church clothes are ready to go for the week. I take Wednesday and Friday off work. i make sure Fr.’s desk drawer is stocked with nuts and granola bars!
On Saturday after the morning service, i help the florist get the church ready for the evening. Because of this new responsibility, i don’t make mayeritsa anymore but nobody seems to mind! When i get home, I love to clean our home altar, change the cloth, and put fresh white flowers in a vase on it! A friend gave me a recipe for lamb that you can prepare the day before, so Saturday is a day of great anticipation in our house! We take a nap in the afternoon (with the smell of lamb wafting around!) Hope I didn’t make your fasting more difficult, today!