The arrival of the Easter week It represents for believers a time of deep spirituality, in which the most significant moments of life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are remembered. It is a time that, according to the Holy Scriptures, marked a before and after in the history of mankind.
Every year, people of faith live this period as an opportunity for reflection, memory and gratitude for the redemptive sacrifice of the Son of God.
Catholics and evangelicals celebrate it through different liturgical expressions: masses, processions, evenings, spiritual retreats, cults and praises. However, they all converge in the same purpose: to exalt the triumph of Jesus Christ over death and remember his surrender for the salvation of humanity.
Although the whole Holy Week has a deep spiritual meaning, there are days that stand out for their symbolic value. This note explains how they are commemorated and which is considered the most important according to each religious tradition.
The resurrection, the most important day for believers
Both evangelicals and Catholics agree that the most relevant day is resurrection Sunday, not for the day itself, but for what it represents: the victory of Jesus Christ over death and hope that his resurrection provides to humanity.
The heart of faith: Domingo de Resurrection
Although in the Guatemalan culture the Good Friday It is often highlighted by the processions, carpets and acts of popular religiosity, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Guatemala, Gonzalo de Villa, said that on Easter Sunday, also known as the day of the resurrection, it is the most important moment for the Catholic Church, since it marks the triumph of Jesus Christ over death and the beginning of pascual time.
De Villa stressed that the center of the Christian faith is not in death, but in the resurrection of Jesus, commemorated solemnly in the early hours of Sunday. “During Holy Week the most intense days of the liturgical calendar are lived, in which Jesus’ path to the cross and his victory over death is remembered,” he said.
During these days, liturgical acts such as the Eucharist, the priestly ministry and the feet wash, which recalls the gesture of service performed by Christ to his disciples are celebrated. On Good Friday the Crucifixion and Death of the Lord is commemorated, essential elements in the narrative of passion. However, the archbishop insisted that the culminating event is resurrection, the foundation of hope in eternal life.
They celebrate the victory against death
Pastor Manuel Enrique Molina Núñez, of the Church Assembly of God Dulce Refugio, said that for the evangelical community the most significant day within Holy Week is Resurrection Sunday, since it symbolizes the victory of Jesus Christ over death.
“The day Christ rose marks our victory. It is the fulfillment of what the apostle Paul wrote: Where is, oh death, your sting? Where, oh sepulcher, your victory? We celebrate that He is not in the tomb, but lives, and that is also our hope,” explained the pastor.
With acts of faith, prayer and spiritual approach, the evangelical community commemorates the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah, established in the Holy Scriptures and announced by the prophets Isaiah and Malachi. Pastor Molina stressed that Isaiah 53 describes in detail the suffering of the Son of God and how his redemptive delivery brought justification to the human being.
“Jesus died to redeem us from sin and condemnation. His death gave us access to salvation and his resurrection ensures us eternal life,” he added.
The evangelical leader emphasized that, although the death of Christ is essential for faith, it is the resurrection that consolidates the Christian hope. “Thanks to their resurrection, believers do not fear spiritual death, because they have the promise of life in Him. Jesus said: I am the way, truth and life; nobody comes to the Father if it is not for me.”
How does the Evangelical Church celebrate Holy Week?
Each believer expresses their faith in different ways. Pastor Molina indicated that evangelical churches carry out various activities during this time. “Some congregations celebrate special cults, others organize spiritual retreats, evangelistic campaigns or take to the streets with banners to proclaim the resurrection of the Lord,” he said.
Another form of celebration is through theatrical works that represent the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which allows the believer to remember the fundamental facts of the Christian faith.
The pastor stressed that the center of everything that is done is on Sunday of Resurrection, held with praise and worship as an expression of gratitude for the victory obtained by the Son of God, who provides hope and salvation to the world.
The Easter triduum and the spiritual sense of Holy Week, according to the Catholic Church
Father Alejandro Barrios, pastor of the temple of the collection, explained that, for the Catholic Church, after the resurrection, the Pascual Triduum represents one of the most important moments in the commemoration of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
During this stage the last dinner is remembered, the worship of the Holy Cross and the wait with the empty sepulcher, which culminates with the joy of the resurrection. “Everything that is done in this liturgical time helps to deepen the sacrifice that Jesus did for humanity,” said Father Barrios.
He stressed that each believer, according to his experience of faith, grants a particular spiritual meaning to these days, but all share the purpose of paying tribute to the sacrifice and resurrection of the Son of God.
Representation of Holy Days
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and concludes on Easter Sunday. However, the days of greatest solemnity begin with Holy Thursday, when the Easter Triduum begins, which this year will be held from April 17 to 20, 2025.
- Holy Thursday: Jesus’ last dinner is remembered with his apostles, the institution of the Eucharist and the feet wash as a service symbol.
- Good Friday: Penance day that commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion. Father Barrios indicated that the worship of the Holy Cross is remembered and the suffering suffered by Christ at the hands of the Roman Empire.
- Holy Saturday: Day of silence and hope that anticipates the resurrection. It is celebrated with the Easter vigil, a symbol of light that overcome the darkness.
- Easter Sunday: Day of liturgical joy for the empty sepulcher and the victory of Jesus over death. “It is the passage of Christ from death to life,” said Father Barrios.