The Triduum: The Crowning of our Church Year!

 
The Paschal Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday, though this final liturgy is not often celebrated in parishes. The unearned gift of salvation, given from God’s wondrous love, shines forth over these three days, sundown to sundown.
 
On Holy Thursday, Jesus gives us a model of discipleship. It is not always easy to simply follow what is said to the disciples in the scriptures, “so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Disciples of Jesus, of all rank, serve those who are lowly in society all the time. You will receive an invitation to come forward to have your feet washed by those who are in service to our parish community. Jesus stunned and confused his disciples by washing their feet, eating with sinners, and being contentious to those in authority. So, we begin the Triduum with humility and service on Holy Thursday evening. Lent is ended. 
 
From Thursday, we move to Good Friday struck again by God’s love for us “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” Jesus, sharing in our humanity, is stripped and broken and surrenders to death, yet, conquers death that we might have unending life. It is this cross of glory that we adore—some of us kneeling, some with a kiss or touch; some with a bow before Christ crucified. We should glory in the cross indeed, for it is the cross of victory. 
 
At the Easter Vigil, we fulfill the purpose for entering Lent: we are transformed. Greater evidence of transformation is in the presence of our elect and candidates seeking full communion with us, with the Church. They enter the Triduum “purified” from their old ways and enlightened by God’s word. They come eager for a full and deeper life as a Catholic Christian with their sponsors and Catholics who are descendants of those celebrating Holy Week for centuries—YOU. Our Vigil ends with the sunrise of Easter morning, Jesus Christ has risen today. We finally sing Alleluia!     
 

Please come to the liturgies of these days, especially on Holy Saturday evening at 7:30 PM for the Easter Vigil for their baptism and full communion into the Catholic Church through Confirmation and Eucharist.

The liturgies of these days are worth setting time aside for—they are rich, powerful, and tell us who we are as people of the Resurrection. Setting time aside is different from “fitting it in” among the ordinary goings-on already pressing upon our time. It is more deliberate. It means carving out the time from our busyness. Our ordinary life cannot accommodate these extraordinary events, but when they happen, we drop what we are doing and must be there. For something extraordinary, we rearrange our schedule.