Easter Triduum: the most important three days of our year

Three Days – One Liturgy
This is the greatest and most important time of our year – our three days of celebrating the
Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, our Saviour.
In the actual celebration of the three great days of Holy Week the Easter Vigil, of course,
comes last. But though Easter comes last in time it comes first in significance. It is from
Easter that Good Friday gets its full Christian meaning. Without Easter, Good Friday would
not mark the death of the Risen One. Apart from Easter, Good Friday would literally have
been a dead end. It is from Easter that Holy Thursday too derives its full Christian
significance. Without the Risen Christ of Easter, there would have been no Church, no
Eucharist. The Last Supper would really have been a last.
Holy Thursday begins with the Chrism Mass in the Pro-Cathedral at which
the Bishop gathers with the priests of the Diocese. At this Mass the oils
which we use for Baptism, Confirmation and Anointing of the Sick are
consecrated and dispersed to each Parish for use during the coming year.
We begin our Easter Liturgy in Our Lady of Victories at 7.00 p.m. with
Mass of the Lord’s Supper. On this evening our attention is drawn to the
institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood and the call to serve the poor
and marginalised. The washing of the feet symbolises the core call for all
of us to serve. Tonight we serve with our collection for the Church in
Need in support of persecuted Christians in the Middle East. We “watch
and pray” until midnight. We leave the church in silence.
On Good Friday we gather in silence at 3 p.m. for the Celebration of
the Lord’s Passion. This is a day of fast and abstinence as we
remember what Jesus has done for us in giving himself willingly on
the Cross out of love for us. Our Liturgy is stark suiting the mood of
the Passion. At 7 o’clock that evening we gather to walk the
‘Via Dolorosa’ – accompanying Our Saviour as he walks to his
Crucifixion.
On Holy Saturday it is suggested that our Fast might continue in some fashion until we
gather at 9.00 p.m. for the final part of our Liturgy. This has 4 important elements – Fire,
Story, Water, Food. From the fire the Paschal Candle is lit bringing light to all – the Light of
Christ. We listen to our own story from the Hebrew Scriptures which begins with Creation
followed by the call of Abraham. This leads us to the freeing of God’s people from slavery
to the New Covenant concluding with the New Testament readings telling us of Jesus rising
from the dead. Water draws us in to the new of life of the Resurrection we celebrate this
night. We are finally fed by the Food of Life in the Eucharist.
The Easter Triduum is the most important three days of our year. Please try to attend all of
this ONE LITURGY, which takes place over three days. Let it speak to your soul.