Pilgrimage and Holy Week

 
Introduction
 

As we approach the most sacred time of the year—Great and Holy Week—we are invited into something far deeper than remembrance. In the Orthodox Church, Holy Week is not simply a historical reflection on events that happened long ago. It is a living participation in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Today, I would like to speak about two closely connected themes: first, the meaning of Holy Week itself, and second, the idea of pilgrimage - especially how Holy Week becomes a kind of spiritual pilgrimage for every Orthodox Christian.
 
Whether or not we travel to holy places like Jerusalem or Mount Athos, we are all called to make an inner journey - a journey of repentance, humility, and renewal.
 
What Is an Orthodox Pilgrimage?
 
In the Orthodox tradition, pilgrimage is not tourism. It is not about sightseeing or even primarily about learning. It is about transformation.
 
A pilgrimage is a journey toward God.
 
When Orthodox Christians travel to places such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christ was crucified and buried, they are not simply observing history—they are entering into it spiritually.
 
But here is something very important: Holy Week itself is a pilgrimage.
 
Even if we never leave our town, if we attend the services, fast, pray, and struggle spiritually, we are walking with Christ. The Church, through her services, takes us step by step through the final days of Christ’s life.
 
So, in a sense, the Church becomes our Jerusalem. The services become our Via Dolorosa. And our hearts become the place where the Resurrection must occur.
 
The Beginning: Palm Sunday
 
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we commemorate Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
 
The people welcomed Him with palm branches, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
But we must remember: the same crowd that welcomed Him would soon cry, “Crucify Him!”
 
Palm Sunday is therefore both joyful and sobering. It reminds us how easily human hearts can change. We are called to ask ourselves: Do we truly welcome Christ, or do we only follow Him when it is easy?
 
Palm branches symbolize victory - but Christ’s victory will not come through power, but through suffering and sacrifice.
 
The First Three Days: Bridegroom Services (Monday–Wednesday)
 
The first three days of Holy Week are centered around the Bridegroom Matins services.
 
We hear the hymn:
 
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight,
and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching…”
 
Christ is called the Bridegroom, and the Church is His Bride.
 
These services emphasize vigilance, repentance, and readiness. The image is clear: Christ is coming, and we must be spiritually awake.
 
The icon of the Bridegroom shows Christ wearing a crown of thorns—humble, suffering, rejected.
 
These days challenge us deeply. They ask:
 
·        Are we awake spiritually, or asleep?
·        Are we prepared to meet Christ?
·        Are we faithful, or distracted?
 
In the Gospel readings, we also hear parables about judgment, faithfulness, and the end times. The Church is calling us to examine our lives seriously.
 
Holy Wednesday: Repentance
 
On Holy Wednesday, we remember the woman who anointed Christ with costly perfume.
 
While Judas was preparing to betray Christ, this woman offered Him love, repentance, and sacrifice.
 
The contrast is powerful.
 
One disciple betrays Christ for money.
One sinful woman offers everything in love.
 
This day reminds us that repentance is always possible. No matter how far we have fallen, we can return to Christ.
 
Holy Thursday: The Mystical Supper
 
Holy Thursday is one of the most profound days of the year.
 
We commemorate the Last Supper, when Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist.
 
He gives His Body and Blood to His disciples and commands them—and us—to do this in remembrance of Him.
 
This is not symbolic. This is the very center of our life as Orthodox Christians.
 
On this day, we also remember:
 
·        The washing of the disciples’ feet, showing humility and service
·        The agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
·        The betrayal by Judas
 
In the evening service, we hear the Twelve Passion Gospels, recounting Christ’s suffering in detail.
 
As we listen, we are not distant observers. We stand there spiritually. We hear the accusations, the mockery, the cruelty.
 
And we must ask ourselves honestly: Where am I in this story?
 
Am I like Peter, who denies Christ?
Like Judas, who betrays Him?
Or like the faithful ones who remain with Him?
 
Great and Holy Friday: The Day of the Cross
 
Holy Friday is the most solemn day of the year.
 
Christ is crucified. The Son of God suffers and dies.
 
The Church enters into deep mourning.
 
We venerate the Cross, not as a symbol of defeat, but as the instrument of salvation.
 
In the afternoon, we commemorate the taking down of Christ’s body from the Cross.
 
In the evening, we participate in the procession of the Epitaphios - the icon of Christ laid in the tomb.
 
We follow it in silence, often with candles, just as the disciples and the Myrrh-bearing women followed Christ in sorrow.
 
This is one of the most moving experiences in the Orthodox Church.
 
It is a moment of stillness, grief, and reflection.
 
And yet -even here- there is hope.
 
Because we know that death will not have the final word.
 
Holy Saturday: Waiting in Hope
 
Holy Saturday is a day of quiet expectation.
 
Christ lies in the tomb—but something is happening beyond what we can see.
 
The Church teaches that Christ descends into Hades, breaking the power of death and freeing those who were held captive.
 
In the morning service, the mood begins to shift.
 
We hear the first hints of victory. Dark vestments may be replaced with brighter ones. The tomb is no longer only a place of sorrow—it becomes the place where life will emerge.
 
Holy Saturday teaches us something essential:
 
God is at work even in silence.
Even when everything seems lost, He is preparing victory.
 
Pascha: The Resurrection
 
At midnight, everything changes.
 
The church is dark. Then a single light appears—the light of Christ.
 
The priest proclaims: “Come, receive the light!”
 
The flame is passed from one person to another, until the entire church is filled with light.
 
And then we hear the proclamation that changes everything:
 
“Christ is risen from the dead,
trampling down death by death,
and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!”
 
This is the heart of our faith.
 
Death is defeated.
Sin is overcome.
Life has triumphed.
 
Pascha is not just a celebration - it is a new reality.
 
Holy Week as a Personal Pilgrimage
 
Now, returning to the idea of pilgrimage:
 
Even if we never travel to Jerusalem, Holy Week is our journey.
 
Each service is a step.
 
·        Palm Sunday: We welcome Christ
·        Monday–Wednesday: We prepare and repent
·        Thursday: We receive Him
·        Friday: We suffer with Him
·        Saturday: We wait
·        Pascha: We rise with Him
 
This is the path of every Christian life.
 
Pilgrimage teaches us that faith is not static - it is a movement. A journey. A struggle.
 
It requires effort, commitment, and sacrifice.
 
Conclusion
 
Holy Week is not something we watch - it is something we enter.
 
It is an invitation.
 
An invitation to walk with Christ.
To suffer with Him.
To die to our sins.
And to rise into new life.
 
Whether we are in our parish, in a monastery, or in the Holy Land, the goal is the same:
 
To encounter the living Christ.
 
Let us therefore approach this Holy Week not casually, but with intention.
 
Let us pray more deeply, attend the services, forgive one another, and open our hearts.
 
And when we hear the words, “Christ is risen,” may we not only say them with our lips, but know them in our hearts.
 
Amen.
 

Fr. Anastasios D. Salapatas

 
Note: The above text was read at the online Orthodox Catechism on Monday 30^th March 2026.