Holy Week

Definition and Meaning

Holy Week refers to the week immediately before Easter. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on the Saturday before Easter; in the liturgical calendar, it is the final week of Lent. The "suffering" in the Korean Protestant name refers to the Passion of Jesus Christ, that is, the anguish he endured from his arrest and trial through his crucifixion and death. Korean Protestants widely use the term gonanjugan ("Week of Suffering" or "Passion Week"), while the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church of Korea, and others mainly use seongjugan, meaning "Holy Week."

Several days within this week receive special remembrance.

• Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday): Commemorates the day Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples, instituted the Lord's Supper, and washed the disciples' feet. In Korean it is also called "Foot-Washing Thursday."
• Good Friday: Commemorates the day Jesus died on the cross. Also called the "Day of the Passion," it is the central day of Holy Week.
• Holy Saturday: Commemorates the day Jesus' body lay in the tomb.

Biblical and Historical Background

All four Gospels devote extended attention to the final week of Jesus' life. The events they record as taking place during this period include the entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20), the washing of the disciples' feet (John 13:1-15), the prayer in Gethsemane, the arrest and trials, and the crucifixion and burial (Mark 15).

The early church, in celebrating the Resurrection, also remembered the suffering that preceded it. The account of Egeria, a pilgrim who visited Jerusalem in the late fourth century, is reported to describe services commemorating Jesus' final acts on the corresponding days and at the corresponding places. These observances later spread throughout the Western and Eastern churches. After the Reformation, the extent to which the liturgical calendar was observed came to vary among Protestant denominations.

Practice in the Korean Church

In Korean Protestantism, Holy Week is widely observed across denominational lines. Its most common expression is the Holy Week special early-morning prayer meeting. Many churches hold early-morning prayer meetings every day during this period, preaching in sequence on the final week of Jesus' life or on the Seven Last Words spoken from the cross. Some churches encourage fasting or self-denial. In addition to fasting by skipping some meals, believers may also cut back on entertainment or media use. Many churches hold a Good Friday service in the evening, at which the Lord's Supper is sometimes celebrated.

Forms of observance differ by denomination.

• The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea observe the liturgy of the church calendar in relatively full detail. They hold a foot-washing rite on Maundy Thursday and a service centered on the cross on Good Friday, and on Saturday night they celebrate the Easter Vigil.
• Among Methodist churches, including the Korean Methodist Church, and many Presbyterian denominations, a growing number of congregations follow the liturgical calendar. In these churches, foot-washing rites or Lord's Supper services on Maundy Thursday and services on Good Friday are common.
• Many Baptist and independent churches place greater emphasis on preaching centered on biblical texts and on prayer meetings than on the liturgical calendar. These churches observe Holy Week primarily through early-morning prayer meetings and preaching.