The Paschal Triduum: a celebration of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection

In the whole Christendom, the most solemn celebration each year is the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter) or the celebration of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. The Paschal Triduum is the very core of our Christian faith, proclamation and witnessing.  It is a celebration very much akin to ‘three-in-one”’ coffee. They all go together and we cannot be choosy which one to attend and which one to miss.

The celebration of the Paschal Triduum dates back as far as the 4th century.  While the early Christians celebrated each Sunday as the Resurrection of the Lord, Easter Sunday stood then as a great Feast standing ‘alone’.  By the 3rd Century, certain communities began prolonging the preparation and celebration of Easter. They added the reading of the Passion and the veneration of the Cross on the Friday preceding Easter. Then by the 4th century, we already have the three celebrations marking the solemn festivity of the Holy Week.

Holy Thursday is a very special celebration of two sacraments - the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  It begins on the morning with the Mass of the Chrism - the blessing of the Sacred Oil - one for the sick and the other Chrism used for the anointing during Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders.  The Holy Oil blessed at Chrism Mass is used for anointing both the sick and the elect.  The anointing of the Oil for the Sick communicates outward and inward healing in the celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick (formerly known as Extreme Unction).  The Sacred Chrism is used to communicate God’s election during the Sacrament of Baptism, Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The celebration of the Chrism Mass is also very special, because it is one of the rare celebration each year when the faithful witness in the Cathedral the bishop and the priests of the diocese united together in renewing the promises they made when they were ordained.  Young and old and now in different sizes, they all commit their lives once again to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God in the Eucharist and other sacraments; to discharge faithfully the sacred office of teaching; and to become servant-leaders of the people of God by following Christ faithfully as Head and Shepherd. It is also around this time that the Bishop exhorts the faithful to pray for their priests and support them that they become true ministers of Christ.

In the late afternoon of Holy Thursday, the Church celebrates the last Supper of the Lord.  Here we have two powerful symbols. The first is the breaking of the one bread and partaking of the one cup the very symbols of the Mass. Jesus loves us so much that through the sacred meal, he ritually acted on what would happen on Good Friday by freely giving his body and shedding his blood. Then we have the rite of the washing of the disciples’ feet - a powerful and fitting symbol of Jesus’ command to love one another and to serve by washing each other’s feet.

The Good Friday Celebration is centered in the reading of the Passion according to St. John. There is something special in the Passion Narrative of St. John.  While we have the usual sufferings and sorrow associated to the ‘Stations of the Cross’, we see Jesus taking upon himself the fullness of the suffering and the sorrow of all humanity. He went through all this because of his great LOVE for us and he offered himself as a RANSOM for our sins that we may have life and life to the full.  In many ways, the Passion Narrative according to St. John is the revelation of God’s love and glory as revealed in the Cross.

The center of the Paschal Triduum is the Easter celebration that begins with Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is one of the oldest liturgical celebration is the whole Christendom. The ceremony begins on the night of Holy Saturday with the blessing of the new fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle - the symbol of the Risen Lord.  We proclaim the Risen Christ as the LIGHT of the world and the light of our lives. 

Then we have the Liturgy of the Word with combined readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament - narrating the history of humankind’s salvation from the sin of our first parents, through Exodus, the Prophets and the Letters of St. Paul to the Gospel narrative of the Jesus’ Resurrection.  
This is followed by the blessing of the new Baptismal Font and Holy Water - a rich symbol of the Spirit and new life given to us at Baptism. Built in in this rite is the renewal of our baptismal promises - the profession of our faith and the rejection Satan and sin. This is followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist of Easter - the first day of the week!

St. John of Damascus has beautifully captured the beauty of our Easter celebration in his song:

“Tis the spring of souls today;
Christ has burst his prison;
And from three days sleep in death,
As a sun has risen.

All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From his light, to whom we give
Laud and praise undying.

Come to glad Jerusalem,
Who with true affection
Welcomes, in unwearied strains,
Jesus’ resurrection.”