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The most important time of the year
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March 26, 2024As we approach Easter, we might focus on how to celebrate the resurrection or stay awake for the Easter Vigil. However, the days before Saturday sunset are just as important as the joyful celebration of the Risen Jesus.
The liturgical services during the Triduum are the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord on Saturday evening or Sunday early morning.
Holy Thursday is packed with pillars of our faith. We listen to the reading about Jesus’ last supper – this year, from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. It reminds us of the institution of the Eucharist, how Jesus stays with us and gives us nourishment by offering His body and blood. It is also the sign of the priesthood since now the priests are reciting the words of Jesus, “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” enabling the transubstantiation brought by the action of the Holy Spirit.
Returning to the Gospel passages that describe Jesus’ last supper with his apostles, the Gospel of John places Jesus’ central teachings in chapters 13 – 17. This year’s Gospel is from the 13th chapter: After the Washing of the Feet, Jesus gives his apostles the new commandment in John 13:34, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
After the Gospel and Homily, the priests wash the feet of 12 faithful (if possible), remembering Jesus’ gesture as a call to serve. After the Eucharist, the altar is stripped—no Mass will be celebrated until Saturday sunset. The Tabernacle door remains open, and the Eucharist will be placed outside the Tabernacle, where the faithful can follow Jesus’ invitation to watch and pray with Him.
On Good Friday, we relive Jesus’ passion with the Liturgy of the Word, the Solemn Intercessions and the Veneration of the Cross. In the Liturgy of the Word, we hear how Isaiah foretold Jesus’ passion in the passage of the Suffering Servant. As Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46), the faithful are invited to accept every cross and suffering we encounter, knowing that God chose to suffer to redeem us.
The Passion on Friday is usually taken from the Gospel of John. After the Homily, “the Solemn Intercessions come down to us in a form derived from ancient tradition, and they reflect the full range of intentions,” according to the USCCB on their website. The Veneration or Adoration of the cross allows every faithful to come up and not so much venerate it, but rather what it represents: Jesus, who died on the cross and suffered for us. We can renew our commitment to Him.
The Liturgy of Good Friday is one of mourning, and the Eucharist is not celebrated. Many parishes offer Stations of the Cross or Passion Plays to emphasize the essential message of the day. Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day of fasting, meaning one meatless meal plus two small meals.
Holy Saturday until sunset reminds us of Mary, the sorrowful Stabat Mater, who had to see her only Son, the Son of God, dying on the cross. She stands under the cross, believing, enduring, hoping, and accepting John as a son in place of Jesus.
After sunset, we come to the most joyful and meaningful celebration of the year: the Easter Vigil. On this holy night, the Church keeps watch, celebrating Christ’s resurrection in the sacraments and awaiting his return in glory. It is the turning point of the Triduum, the Passover of the new covenant, which marks Christ’s passage from death to life, so the USCCB.
It starts with the service of the light — usually outside the Church, with a fire from which the priest lights the Easter candle. The liturgy of the Word follows, with seven or at least three readings from the Old Testament. Before the Gospel, the Alleluia is sung for the first time since Ash Wednesday.
After the Homily, the Liturgy of Baptism contains the blessing of the Holy Water and the actual baptism of candidates, if there are any in the parish. Every faithful renews their baptismal promises.
Finally, the Liturgy of the Eucharist lets us experience that Christ is truly risen – giving us the Easter joy that death is not the end but the beginning of our true life.
