NGUYEN: The Holy Triduum - A continuous Liturgy that transcends all time

For Christians, Easter is the summit of the entire liturgical year. All other feasts and solemnities in the Church’s calendar work toward the primacy of Easter.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Easter is… “the ‘Feast of feasts,’ the ‘Solemnity of solemnities,’ just as the Eucharist is the ‘Sacrament of Sacraments.’ St. Athanasius calls Easter ‘the Great Sunday’ and the Eastern Churches call Holy Week ‘the Great Week’” (CCC 1169).

Liturgically, we enter into Holy Week on Palm Sunday, which inevitably leads way to the climax of the liturgical year: the Holy Triduum — also called the Paschal Triduum or the Easter Triduum — which includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.

It may appear as if these consecutive liturgies are distinct and separate from one another; however, they function as one continuous celebration to commemorate Jesus Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Each is rich with symbolism, yet together, they flow seamlessly in concert in order for us to remain focused on the central mystery of our faith. With the Sign of the Cross at the opening of Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday to the Final Blessing at the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, Christians are reminded of God’s greatest gift… His Son.

When the Holy Triduum is celebrated, Jesus’ salvific act is reenacted to save us from the bondage of sin. The Paschal Triduum is Jesus’ Passover, foreshadowed by the Jewish Passover when the people were rescued from the bondage of slavery from the Egyptians. St. John Chrysostom teaches that as the blood of the unblemished lamb at the first Passover was smeared on doorposts of the Israelites’ houses to save them from being destroyed by the angel of death, so does the Blood of Christ we receive at Eucharist save us from the wages of our sin which is death (Rom 6:23). Our mouth and our lips become the doors of the temple of Christ.

At every Mass, bread and wine are consecrated separately, signifying Jesus’ death as His blood is separated from His body. Next, however, the priest puts a tiny piece of bread back into the chalice, denoting the unity of Jesus’ body and blood, which declares His resurrection. Our belief is then affirmed as we respond to the great “Mystery of Faith,” the Memorial Acclamation: “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again.” Liturgy transcends all time and place.

Most historical events happen once and are quickly forgotten. Not so with the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus! The Easter Triduum is real and unique and cannot remain in the past. Indeed, Jesus participated in the divine eternity, which transcends all time while being made present at each and every Mass.

As we are in the second year of the Eucharistic Revival, let us be resolved, as our Mother Church earnestly desires (SC 14), to participate fully, consciously and actively every time we attend Mass. May we be more cognizant, especially at the one continuous Liturgy of the Holy Triduum/Easter Triduum to enter more deeply into Jesus’ passion and death with profound gratitude and fervent love for Him.

With great joy and hope, may we continue in our faith, believing that we shall rise with Him to new life. 

Sister Maria Goretti Thuy Nguyen, OP, is an associate director with the Archdiocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.

(File photo by James Ramos/Herald)