CATHOLIC CATECHISM

MAUNDY THURSDAY AND GOOD FRIDAY

In order to fulfil the prophecies of the Scripture, Jesus made his entrance in Jerusalem, sitting on a donkey's filly. It was short before the Jewish feast of Passover. The people were shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed be the King who comes in the name of God".
The Pharisees sought a manner to clear him away. They gave to one of Jesus' apostles, Judas Iscariot, thirty pieces of silver to smuggle Jesus into their hands.
On the occasion of Passover, Jesus and the twelve apostles ate together the last supper. Jesus took the bread and said: "This is my body that is given to you. Do this in remembrance of me." The Church considers this the institution of the eucharist (holy mass). The host that we receive during holy communion is an image of Jesus himself, and we call it the bread of life.
But Jesus also said, while Judas was present: "One of you will betray me".

In the night that followed, Jesus went to the garden of olives to pray. He sweat blood and tears, and prayed: "God, take this cup of bitterness away from me. But your will be done."
At the exit of the garden, Judas stood waiting together with soldiers of the goverment. They brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. The Pharisees accused him he wanted to become king of the Jews at the cost of the Roman emperor. But Jesus answered: "My kingdom is not of this world."
Pilate thought Jesus was innocent, and tried to set him free. But the people were stirred up by the Pharisees and shouted: "Crucify him!".
They sneered at Jesus, put a crown of thorns on his head, and he carried his own cross to mount Calvary. There the soldiers nailed him to the cross. Before he died, he shouted: "God, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing."
Relatives of Jesus got leave to embalm him and lay him in a grave. Roman soldiers kept watch over the grave.