WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR__________________________?
This question could be asked about many things including important activities like a vacation, or the Super Bowl, or the Easter Triduum. The Easter Triduum (April 17-20) is the highlight and climax of the whole Church year. It involves one long liturgical celebration that begins on Holy Thursday evening and concludes with the end of the Easter Vigil Service on Holy Saturday night. There are, of course, long pauses in this liturgical celebration (Thursday night to Friday evening and Friday evening to Saturday night) which provides opportunity for us to ponder and grow in appreciation of the significance of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This can happen if the "usual" activities of life are reduced - if not completely - at least greatly, and some of those waking hours spent at Church (with unique public prayer opportunities), and in what we choose to do at home by ourselves and/or with others. I bring this up now (less than three weeks from the start of the Triduum) so all of us can pray that we and all of our fellow Catholics will be committed to make these the holiest days of the year for us, as the fruit of our Lenten practices and disciplines.
I will use my column in the next few weeks to speak more about the Triduum. Please take the time to read and reflect upon it and grow in anticipation of the Triduum and all that it offers to us in our journey with the Lord.
I hope you will put these times on your calendar now.
This question could be asked about many things including important activities like a vacation, or the Super Bowl, or the Easter Triduum. The Easter Triduum (April 17-20) is the highlight and climax of the whole Church year. It involves one long liturgical celebration that begins on Holy Thursday evening and concludes with the end of the Easter Vigil Service on Holy Saturday night. There are, of course, long pauses in this liturgical celebration (Thursday night to Friday evening and Friday evening to Saturday night) which provides opportunity for us to ponder and grow in appreciation of the significance of the Paschal Mystery, the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This can happen if the "usual" activities of life are reduced - if not completely - at least greatly, and some of those waking hours spent at Church (with unique public prayer opportunities), and in what we choose to do at home by ourselves and/or with others. I bring this up now (less than three weeks from the start of the Triduum) so all of us can pray that we and all of our fellow Catholics will be committed to make these the holiest days of the year for us, as the fruit of our Lenten practices and disciplines.
I will use my column in the next few weeks to speak more about the Triduum. Please take the time to read and reflect upon it and grow in anticipation of the Triduum and all that it offers to us in our journey with the Lord.
I hope you will put these times on your calendar now.
| Holy Thursday | April 17 6:30 p.m. |
Mass of the Lord's Supper |
| Good Friday | April 18 6:30 p.m. |
Passion of the Lord and Veneration of the Cross |
| Easter Vigil | April 19 8:30 p.m. |
Service of Light, Liturgy of the Word, Renewal of Baptismal Promises, Liturgy of the Eucharist |