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Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. During Lent, Christians are called to fast, pray, and practice almsgiving. They have to abstain from a certain activity of their choice, pray more often than usual, and do charitable deeds.

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The major events that occurred on Good Friday are as follows: the betrayal, the judgement of Pontius, the choice of the Jews, the torment of Jesus, his crucifixion and the entombment of Jesus.

The Betrayal:

In the garden of Gethsemane, Judas identified Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. He agreed to aid the religious authorities in Jesus' arrest for thirty pieces of silver.

The Judgement of Pontius:

Pontius Pilate investigated the claims against Jesus and found no deviance involving Roman laws, so he could not be executed. King Herod also found no guilt, so Pilate suggested he be dealt with according to Jewish law.

The Choice of the Jews:

The Jewish people were adamant that Jesus be executed, so Pilate, in an attempt to save Jesus, presented a choice to the people. They could either kill Barabbas, a murderer, or Jesus, a revolutionary. They chose the latter.

The Torment of Jesus

As was typical of Roman executions, Jesus was whipped, spat at, insulted and assaulted. The most famous instance of this torment is his crown of thorns, placed on his head to mock his status as "King of the Jews".

The Crucifixion of Jesus

Eventually, after travelling with the cross on his back, Jesus was nailed to the cross. While hanging, he spoke with two other men being executed, and ultimately promised one of them a place in heaven. After several hours, Jesus spoke his last words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The thick temple curtain then tore in two, the sky went dark, the earth shook, and Jesus died. He was stabbed in the side by a Roman guard and pronounced dead.

The Entombment of Jesus:

The final event on Good Friday is Jesus' "burial". Jews practice same day burials, so Jesus' body was prepared and he was placed in a tomb donated by Joseph. Finally, a large stone was rolled in front of the entrance to prevent grave-robbing.

Several of these events are represented by the stations of the cross, which are displayed in the image above.

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There are two main explanations as to why Good Friday has its name. The first, which is mainly accepted by historians and linguists, is that the word good is meant to be synonymous with holy, which is consistent with Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, etc. The second explanation is the more "Christian" version. It explores the idea that the day is good because it ultimately "led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations" (The Daily Mass).

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The three main sections of the Good Friday service are the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and the Service of Communion.

Good Friday is considered to be aliturgical, therefore the Eucharist is consecrated at an earlier date. Typically, the Veneration of the Cross is done by bowing or even kissing a cross to honour and acknowledge Jesus' sacrifice.

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When given the choice between Barabbas and Jesus, the Jews chose Barabbas, a convicted criminal. They did this because of both their hatred towards Jesus and because of their own insecurity: "They chose Barabbas because he demanded nothing from them; no self-examination, no repentance, no acts of mercy or forgiveness. Jesus, on the other hand, made [people] uncomfortable...He was a radical who stood religion on its head by publicly exposing the religious hypocrisy while treating women, the poor and the powerless as people worth loving."

"The crowd shouted for Barabbas that day because truth demands certain things from us. It calls us to grow up, to stretch and reexamine our innermost motives and to make sacrifices when we’d rather not... because there’s comfort in conformity"(Goshay)

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The Easter Vigil takes place in the evening of Holy Saturday and officially finishes at the sunrise on Easter Sunday.

The Easter Vigil consists of four parts:

The Service of Light

Liturgy of the Word

Liturgy of Baptism

Liturgy of the Eucharist

During the Service of Light, a cross, the current year, and the signs for alpha and omega are cut into the Paschal Candle. The candle is then lit by the priest, who says, " May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds". After this, the Easter Proclamation is proclaimed. The Liturgy of the word is delivered, then the Liturgy of Baptism, and finally the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of Baptism includes the blessing of the water, the baptism of new Christians and the sprinkling of water on the congregation. Then, the congregation partakes in the Eucharist.

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This is a commemoration of Jesus' death and his journey into hell, or the Sacred Paschal Triduum. It represents the preparation of Christians for Jesus' triumph over Satan and death, and ultimately his ressurection.

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On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the fact that Jesus died but rose again, and took away the sins of the world. He was crucified like a criminal, but rose victorious over the grave, and made it possible for peoples' sins to be forgiven and be allowed to go to Heaven.

When the rock was moved from the tomb, the disciples found that Jesus was no longer there. Originally, they thought that tomb raiders stole His body, but then an angel appeared to them and told them that He had risen.

Jesus fulfilled the need for salvation in the world, and for a saviour to save people from their sins and allow them to be forgiven. Easter celebrates the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made of His life so that this could be made possible.

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Terms associated with Easter are:

sacrifice

resurrection

God

Jesus

prayer

miracles

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The Last Supper was the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. Jesus began with blessing the wine they drank, and then washing the disciples' feet. Jesus then took a piece of bread and wine and blessed them and told the disciples "‘Take this, all of you, and drink it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me." This was the beginning of communion, and began the tradition of weekly remembering the sacrifice Jesus made.

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Only people who were baptized and have received their first communion are allowed to participate in communion at mass. This is the catholic tradition; other denominations have different requirements for being able to participate in communion. For example, baptists allow people to participate in communion after they are baptized by immersion.

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Transubstantiation is when the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. They still have the physical appearance of bread and wine, but Catholics believe that they also are Jesus' body and blood.

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At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. This is significant because it was a job that not even servants were supposed to do because it was considered low and disgusting. Jesus, the Lord of the universe, humbling himself and serving others, set an example for how all Christians are supposed to treat others. Christians recreate that moment to be reminded of Jesus' sacrifice and their calling to treat others with love and serve whenever possible.

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On Holy Thursday, priests gather at Cathedrals for a special mass that celebrates priesthood. During the mass, they bless the Oil of Chrism that's used for baptism, confirmation, and the anointing of the sick.

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Stripping the altar reminds people of the way that Jesus' disciples (Judas in particular) betrayed and abandoned him. It also symbolizes how Jesus was stripped of all of his clothes during his crucifixion as a humiliation tactic. It is a way to remember a portion of the struggles that Jesus endured during his crucifixion.

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Incense is used on Holy Thursday to symbolize the prayers of the faithful going up to Heaven. Psalm 141 says "Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice".

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On the Ash Wednesday mass, priests use the ashes from Palm Sunday to make crosses on the foreheads of those at the mass. The ashes symbolize death and repentance, mourning for sins.

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On Palm Sunday palm fronds are used to remember when Jesus came into Jerusalem and people waved palm fronds at him as a sign of honor. It's important to remember Palm Sunday because it was used as foreshadowing for Jesus' death, and shows how the attitudes of the people changed, from thinking he was the savior to wanting him dead. On Palm Sunday, Matthew 24:16-27:66 is read. It is the story of Jesus' betrayal and all of the events leading up to his death.