Edinburg, TX — Lent Specials 2026: Shalom World invites viewers across the globe this lent to step into the living heart of the Catholic Church with the premiere of Beauty of the Rites, a Shalom World original series that explores Holy Week as celebrated across the diverse liturgical traditions of the Catholic Church.

Produced with a global lens, Beauty of the Rites is designed for adults and young adults especially those curious about the depth, symbolism, and ancient beauty of Catholic liturgy. The series offers an immersive journey through time, theology, culture, and prayer, revealing how one faith is expressed through many sacred traditions.

At a moment when many believers long for deeper meaning and rootedness, Beauty of the Rites opens a window into the Church’s liturgical treasury—one handed down faithfully from the Apostles, preserved through centuries, and still alive today.

One Church, Many Expressions of Worship
While often perceived as a single liturgical expression, the Catholic Church is, in reality, a communion of 24 autonomous (sui iuris) Churches, united in faith and sacramental life, yet expressed through six major liturgical rites: Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Antiochian, Armenian, and Chaldean.

Beauty of the Rites gently introduces viewers to this richness, focusing especially on how Holy Week—the most sacred time in the Christian calendar—is lived, prayed, and celebrated across different Catholic rites. The series highlights both the unity of belief and the diversity of expression that define Catholicism as truly universal.

Rather than overwhelming the viewer with technical detail, the series offers an accessible, contemplative approach, allowing the liturgies themselves—the gestures, chants, silence, incense, processions, and prayers—to speak.

A Journey Through Lent and Holy Week, Rite by Rite
Beauty of the Rites is structured as a six-episode journey, with each episode dedicated to one Catholic rite, exploring how Lent and Holy Week are lived, prayed, and celebrated within that tradition. Rather than moving day-by-day across all rites, the series allows viewers to step deeply into each Church’s spiritual rhythm—its preparation, prayer, symbolism, and proclamation of the Paschal Mystery.
Each episode traces the arc of the sacred season within a single rite, revealing how centuries-old traditions shape the faithful’s journey from repentance to resurrection.

The Holy Season of Lent: Within each rite, the episode begins by exploring Lent as a season of conversion and renewal. Viewers encounter how fasting, prayer, penance, and almsgiving are uniquely xpressed—whether through Ash Wednesday or Clean Monday, extended fasts, penitential prayers, prostrations, or preparatory Sundays that gently ready the heart for Holy Week. Lesser-known traditions and historical roots are woven throughout, helping Lent emerge not as obligation, but as invitation.

Hosanna Sunday / Palm Sunday: Each episode then enters Holy Week with the celebration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Through processions, ancient hymns, ritual gestures, and scriptural proclamation, viewers witness how joy and sorrow meet at the threshold of the Passion. The symbolism of palms, olive branches, and public witness reveals how faith is proclaimed not only with words, but with the body and community.

Maundy Thursday: The journey deepens into the mystery of love and sacrifice. Across rites, Maundy Thursday reveals the institution of the Eucharist and Christ’s commandment of love through distinct yet profoundly connected rituals—foot washing, solemn liturgies, altar rites, and watchful prayer. Each tradition illuminates how love is remembered, enacted, and offered through worship.

Good Friday: Marked by silence, reverence, and awe, Good Friday is portrayed within each rite as a sacred encounter with the Cross. From veneration rituals and ancient lamentations to regional devotional practices, the Passion of Christ unfolds with deep theological meaning. The series offers space for contemplation, allowing the weight of suffering, sacrifice, and redemption to speak for itself.

Holy Saturday: Suspended between death and life, Holy Saturday is presented as a vigil of hope within each tradition. Viewers encounter the symbolism of waiting—through silence, prayer, fire, light, and preparation. Baptismal imagery, ancient prayers, and the stories of catechumens preparing for new life reveal how the Church stands poised on the edge of Resurrection.

Easter Sunday: Each episode culminates in the radiant joy of Easter. Though the expressions differ—through music, chant, iconography, procession, and proclamation—the faith remains one: Christ is risen. The Resurrection is celebrated as both a cosmic victory and a personal invitation, uniting diversity and communion in the heart of the Church.

Featured Traditions in the Series

Without giving too much away, Beauty of the Rites features Lent and Holy Week as lived within six Catholic traditions, each presented as a living, breathing expression of the one faith:

The Latin (Roman) Catholic Church, rooted in the witness of Saints Peter and Paul, is marked by a sacramental rhythm and powerful signs that shape the spiritual life of millions worldwide.

The Byzantine Catholic Church, where theology is sung, icons are venerated, and worship engages the whole person through chant, posture, and mystery drawn from the ancient Christian Eastern tradition.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, shaped by the West Syriac tradition of Antioch, rich in poetic prayer, incense, and embodied worship that draws the faithful into Christ’s suffering and glory.

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, tracing its apostolic roots to St. Thomas the Apostle, expressing the East Syriac (Chaldean) tradition through deep silence, sacred chant, and symbolic depth.

The Melkite Catholic Church, born from the ancient See of Antioch, bridging East and West with Byzantine beauty, scriptural depth, and profound theological expression.

The Maronite Catholic Church, one of the oldest Eastern Catholic Churches, preserving the Semitic heritage of Syriac worship and a living connection to the language and prayer of the early Church.

Each rite is presented not as a relic of the past, but as a living Church, faithfully practiced today by communities across the world—bearing witness to a faith that is diverse, ever ancient, and ever new.

Guided by Wisdom and Faith

Each episode is anchored by a priest, theologian, or scholar who gently leads viewers into the deeper meaning and richness of each rite. These voices help connect ancient ritual to contemporary life, showing how liturgy shapes faith, identity, and daily discipleship. Rather than explaining everything, the series invites viewers to enter the mystery—allowing beauty itself to evangelize.

While deeply informative, Beauty of the Rites is not merely an educational program. It is an invitation to wonder, to rediscover the Church not as uniform, but as gloriously diverse; not frozen in time, but alive with the breath of the Holy Spirit. For Catholics, it offers a renewed appreciation of the faith they profess. For seekers and the curious, it opens a door into a Church that has carried prayer, sacrifice, and hope across centuries and cultures.

About Shalom World
Shalom World is a global Catholic television network and media ministry, dedicated to spreading the Gospel through powerful storytelling, faith-based programming, and high-quality original content. Reaching viewers across continents and cultures, Shalom World seeks to illuminate hearts, deepen faith, and proclaim hope.

Beauty of the Rites
A Shalom World Original Series
Premiering Lent Shows
For those who have ever wondered why the Church worships the way she does, for those longing to go deeper, and for all who believe that beauty can lead the soul to God—this journey is just beginning. For more details, visit http://shalomworld.org/lent