The Sacred Triduum, or Paschal, commemoration of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, originating in the Church of Jerusalem is the most important liturgical celebration in the Church’s life. Today it is one liturgy, beginning with the Sign of the Cross on Holy Thursday and concluding with the dismissal at the end of the great Easter Vigil. Entering into this liturgy, we accompany the Lord Jesus in his Passion.
The high point of the Triduum is the Easter Vigil, probably the oldest annual Christian liturgical feast. In some places it may trace back to apostolic times. The earliest description of the Easter celebration comes from a Syrian work of the third century, “The Teaching of the Apostles,” modeled on the earlier “Didache”; it speaks of fasting on Friday and Saturday, concluding with the Vigil on Saturday evening. Second and third century homilists and catechists witness to Christian initiation taking place within this Paschal context. After the Peace of Constantine (313), the Easter Vigil became the principal night for the baptism of candidates. By the fourth century, Holy Thursday and Good Friday had been joined to the Vigil. St. Ambrose refers to this “Sacred Triduum” (triduum sacrum) towards the end of the fourth century. The Council of Nicaea (325) mentions a period of 40 days of preparation for baptism at the Easter Vigil, the origin of Lent. Let us consider most carefully the three days of the Triduum.
Holy Thursday
Sometimes called Maundy Thursday, from the “mandatum” or commandment of the Lord to love one another, Holy Thursday focuses on the solemn celebration of the Last Supper. In the early church the presbyters present would together renew their priestly commitment. Today the liturgy is celebrated with the reception of the holy oils blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass, the solemn celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, and the story the foot washing from John’s account of the Last Supper. Traditionally 12 men (viri) would have their feet washed by the presider, though Pope Francis has made it clear that women also could be included in the rite. In many parishes today, those whose feet have been washed then go forth to wash the feet of others from the congregation, symbolizing the humble service to which we are all called by baptism. At the conclusion of the Mass, the altar is stripped and the crucifix covered in preparation for Good Friday, while the Blessed Sacrament is taken in procession to an “Altar of Repose,” separate from the main church. Many parishioners will pray in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, lit by candles, until late in the evening.
Good Friday
Good Friday’s liturgy is stark and dramatic. It has three distinct moments: the Liturgy of the Word; the Veneration of the Cross: and the reception of Holy Communion. The presiding priest processes silently into the church and prostrates before the altar. The Liturgy of the Word begins with a reading from the “Servant of the Lord” oracle from Isaiah (52:13-53:12), the description of the “Suffering Servant” who gives his life as an offering “for many.” Then comes the solemn reading of the Passion from the Gospel of John, often read dramatically with the presider taking the role of Jesus, two or more lectors, and the congregation taking the part of the crowd. Next comes the Solemn Intercessions, parts of which in the Roman rite date back to the fourth century. Offered by the presider with a response from the congregation, the prayers show the concern of the Christ’s faithful for all people, invoking God’s blessing on the Church, on the Bishop of Rome, the bishops, priests and deacons, and all the faithful, for the unity of all Christians, for the Jewish people, and for those who do not believe in Christ or in God.
Following the Solemn Intercessions, the presider processes down the main aisle of the church, singing three times, “Behold the Wood of the Cross, on which Hung the Savior of the World.” He then venerates it himself, kissing it reverently, and then invites the members of the congregation to come forward to kiss or reverence the cross themselves. The Taizé community in France has a similar tradition called “Prayer Around the Cross.” The Taizé Cross is placed on the floor of the church, surrounded by candles, while members of the congregation come forward to venerate it, kissing it or touching it with their foreheads. In both rituals, the faithful bring their concerns and burdens to the cross of Christ. Finally, the Blessed Sacrament is brought from the sacristy and received by the people. The liturgy ends in silence as all exit the church.
The Easter Vigil
The Easter Vigil is the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection and the sacramental initiation of the neophytes or candidates for baptism. It begins with those present gathering at the entrance to the church for the lighting of the New Fire, symbolizing the light of Christ. The presider blesses the new Paschal Candle, inserting five grains of incense into its base to symbolize the five wounds of Jesus. Then as all present with their own candles receive light from the Paschal Candle, as the presider leads them into the church singing three times, “Light of Christ.” Gradually the dark church begins to glow with light from the candles carried by the faithful. Next the deacon moves to the ambo to intone the Exultet, the great Easter Proclamation. It begins
Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven,
exult, let Angel ministers of God exult,
let the trumpet of salvation
sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph!
Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her,
ablaze with light from her eternal King,
let all corners of the earth be glad,
knowing an end to gloom and darkness.
After the Exultet, the liturgy continues with various readings from the Old Testament recounting the history of salvation — God’s creation of the heavens and the Earth, His covenant with Abraham and his descendants, the passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea, and several readings from the prophets. After the last reading, the whole mood of the liturgy changes. As the presider intones the Gloria, the church’s lights go on, music breaks forth from the organ, the altar candles are lit, and the bells began to ring. After the collect, or opening prayer, a reading from Paul’s letter to the Roman describes baptism, and then the Easter Gospel is proclaimed, with the women coming to anoint the body of Jesus, finding the tomb empty, and then the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and the other disciples.
After the homily, those to be baptized are called forth, wearing brown robes. In the early Church, the catechumenate, or preparation of the candidates for sacramental initiation, had been lengthy, sometimes as long as three years, and included catechesis, a testing or “scrutiny” of their intentions, and finally the liturgical celebration of baptism itself. Today the period has been shortened. At the Vigil, the baptismal waters are blessed by the priest, lowering the Paschal Candle three times into the pool or font while asking God to bless and make fruitful the waters, made holy at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, as a sign of life and purification,
In the early Church, the catechumens were then led to the pool or font, usually in a separate baptistry, where they would remove their clothes and jewelry and be anointed with holy oil. They would renounce Satan and all his works, answering the bishop’s interrogation with an “I do.” “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Do you believe in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit and the holy Catholic Church?. This early interrogatory baptismal creed of the Roman church lies at the root of what became the Apostles’ Creed. Then the bishop would immerse each three times in the waters, reciting the baptismal formula.
After the post-baptismal anointing, later called the Sacrament of Confirmation, the newly baptized would return to the assembly clothed in white tunics, symbols of their new life in Christ, to rejoin the faithful in the body of the church and share for the first time in Christ’s body and blood in the Eucharist. Even after the liturgy, the new Christians would continue their instruction or “mystagogic catechesis,” originally under the guidance of the bishop.
It is important to note that baptism is a sacrament for adults; it is not a primarily for infants, though baptizing children is appropriate when there is a domestic church into which they will be received to grow in the life of faith.
The liturgy of the Sacred Triduum, celebrating the Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection, would finally come to a triumphant close with the presider’s Tripple alleluia and his dismissal of all the faithful, called by Pope Saint John Paul II the Christifideles,” to witness to the Good News of the Gospel with their lives.
Father Thomas Rausch is Emeritus T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology and Professor of Theological Studies.
