Easter Triduum overflows with can’t-miss liturgies

    The end of Lent and the beginning of the Easter season are close upon us, prompting many Catholics to witness an increase in Mass attendance. Certainly, Catholics recognize the importance of the Easter celebration as the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and as the  “Solemnity of Solemnities” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church,” No. 1169).
    While many flock to Mass for the celebration of Easter, there seems to be a less than significant number during the celebration of the Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday or the Easter Vigil.
    While Holy Thursday and Good Friday are not holy days of obligation, it does not mean that we should not make an effort to attend the solemn liturgies during these days.  The Easter Triduum represents, arguably, the most important days of the church’s year because of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. Again, the “Catechism” tells us, “Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance” (CCC, Nos. 1168-1169).
    The Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, an evening celebration of the Mass in which we commemorate the first celebration of the Eucharist with the Last Supper. The Gospel reading reminds us of Jesus’ service and humility as Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. Indeed, the priest himself washes the feet of several parishioners, connecting both the celebration of the Eucharist with a humble act of service.
    Good Friday is the first full day of the Triduum, calling to mind Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross with a day of fasting. In the most solemn and simple liturgy of the year to emphasize the somber and mournful day, the liturgy consists of only three parts: the liturgy of the Word, veneration of the Cross and the reception of Communion. Parishes frequently hold stations of the cross prior to the liturgy.
    My family spends the morning in prayer, quietly reflecting until 3 p.m., to commemorate Jesus’ death. We recite the rosary together along with prayers passed down from my great-grandmother to my mother, who has passed them on to us. When we were younger, we would sit together in the living room, each of us taking turns reciting the prayers. Now, since we are no longer all in the same state, we say them individually, knowing that our other family members are joining together in prayerful solidarity.
    After our prayers, we attend the stations of the cross and the Good Friday liturgy.
    Perhaps the most beautiful of the church’s liturgies is the Easter Vigil, which takes place at night, ending before daybreak on Easter. Beginning outdoors, the Paschal candle is lit from the fire by the priest, and the faithful then process back into the sanctuary for the celebration of the liturgy.
    Constituting an overview of salvation history, the Liturgy of the Word consists of seven readings, followed by the initiation of the catechumens into the church and the renewal of our baptismal vows.
    Last year, I attended the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral-Basilica in Saint Louis. It had been raining and thundering all day and into the night, but a break in the storm allowed us to process outside to observe the lighting of the Paschal candle. As Archbishop Robert Carlson went to light the candle, thunder clapped and lightning struck before the rain came pelting down. It was truly one of the most awe-inspiring vigils I have attended.
    Since the liturgies of the Triduum are supreme liturgical celebrations, we should expect that our churches would be filled with worshipers. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In these liturgies, we become present at the Last Supper, at the foot of the cross, and finally, at the empty tomb in celebration of Jesus’ glorious resurrection.
    The church has us prepare ourselves for these solemn mysteries by fasting, not only to join our suffering with Jesus’ suffering, but also to become aware of the present reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection, enabling us to eat of the Eucharist.
    As Lent comes to a close, and as we begin preparing ourselves for the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we would do well to attend all of the liturgies of the Triduum. In a homily I heard last weekend, the priest urged his parishioners to attend the upcoming celebrations, telling us to ask how much Jesus loves us.
    The answer: Jesus mounts the cross and stretches his arms as far as they can go, answering, “This much.”
    Heather Bozant can be reached at [email protected].