Q. What is the Triduum?

A. The Triduum is the three day celebration of the mystery of Christ's passion and death. It begins on the evening of Holy Thursday with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper and continues until Easter. This is the holiest time of the year for Christians, and the Church celebrates these days with solemn, special forms of worship that are not repeated at any other time of the year.

There are no ordinary Masses on Holy Thursday. Instead, there is a single liturgy, called the Mass of the Lord's Supper. This joyful celebration observes three gifts of God to the Church: Eucharist, priesthood, and the command to serve one another. It is particularly fitting therefore, that the Mass be festive. In this Mass we wash the feet of some members of the congregation, and the Mass ends with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to a special place of reposition, where we watch and pray, striving to keep awake in memory of the Lord's trial in the garden. In the meantime, the church is stripped of altar cloths and ornamentation, in preparation for Good Friday.

There are no Masses anywhere on Good Friday. The Celebration of the Lord's Passion consists of the Liturgy of the Word, including the reading of the Passion according to John. This is followed by the veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion, using hosts that were consecrated the evening before. After this service, the church is empty and bare.

The Easter Vigil begins after sundown on Holy Saturday night. It is the longest and most beautiful liturgy of the year. It is truly a vigil, a keeping watch, awaiting the good news of the Resurrection. This liturgy usually begins outside, with the blessing of fire. The congregation then follows the newly lighted Paschal Candle into the church and the Exultet proclaims God's merciful intervention in history. A series of Old Testament readings follows. After the homily, adults are brought forward for baptism, and already baptized candidates are received into the Catholic Church. All these new Catholics are then confirmed. Finally, the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. The entire ceremony takes two or more hours, but they are beautiful hours indeed!

These ceremonies call us to the root of our faith: the Lordship of Jesus Christ over life and over death. Consider carefully your schedules this week. What is more pressing, what is more important, than observing the passing over of the Lord? There is no better use of your time than celebrating and praying with the Church. Join us, or join another parish, for these sacred rites this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.