Celebrating the Triduum

The early Church Fathers Augustine and Ambrose referred to ‘the Triduum’ as the three days that focus on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One liturgy is enacted over several days. Beginning on Holy Thursday evening with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Triduum traverses all that is at the heart of the Christian faith concluding with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. Such a complex liturgy requires considerable preparation and co-ordination of parish resources to enable the rituals to carry and transform us throughout these holy days.

Pastoral challenges are heightened when we consider how some parishes are configured. It is not unusual for a priest to be responsible for two or three churches or to minister to four or even five church communities, sometimes a considerable geographical distance apart. Even a single church may be shared by multiple communities (for example, an ethnic community). People in parishes which have been amalgamated may still feel hurt and second best.

How are existing resources to be utilised to ensure worthy liturgical celebrations in these circumstances?

Thursday of the Lord’s Supper

The processional cross leads the assembly into the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the people sing of ‘glorying in the cross of Christ’. The readings begin with the Book of Exodus describing the Jewish Passover meal commemorating the release of the Israelites from captivity. We then hear from St Paul with the institution narrative in 1 Corinthians where Christ offers himself as a sacrifice and defines his ministry as an encounter of love. John’s Gospel which follows recounts the washing of the feet and we witness the powerful ritual of the Washing of the Feet. A normal act of hospitality in the dusty streets of Jerusalem, it is a potent symbol of Jesus’ servant leadership that turns the order of the day upside down and sets the scene for the rest of the Triduum.

The Holy Thursday Eucharist challenges us not to take the sacrament of the Lord’s body and blood for granted. Extra hosts are consecrated because Holy Thursday communion is also received on Good Friday; we will wait until the Easter Vigil before we celebrate Eucharist again. Good Friday is the only time in the liturgical year when communion from the tabernacle is envisaged for the liturgical assembly and it expresses the unity of the Triduum. Following the Prayer after Communion, there is no dismissal rite – and there cannot be until the continuous liturgy of the Triduum is over. The altar is stripped bare. The Blessed Sacrament is transferred via a solemn procession to a place of repose in a suitable part of the church. (The rite presumes the sacrament is reserved in the usual chapel of reservation; if the church does not have one, a chapel is set up for the occasion). Now the mood has shifted and we are invited to keep watch with Jesus in private vigil as he enters the agony in the Garden.

Friday of the Passion of the Lord

The assembly gathers at 3pm for the celebration of the Lord’s Passion. Marked by deep sorrow but transparent with the hope that is to come, the altar remains bare and the environment is devoid of flowers or adornment. The Liturgy of the Word, the Showing and Veneration of the Holy Cross, and Holy Communion are the foci.

The priest approaches the altar in silence and prostrates himself before it; the motif of servant leadership continues. The Collect breaks the solemn silence and the first reading from Isaiah tells of a prophetic figure, a suffering servant. The second reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews introduces Jesus as the High Priest, Son of God, one like us in his humanity but without sin; he is a sacrificial victim.

We now hear John’s Gospel account of the crucifixion and of the revelation of God’s love for us. These readings are dramatic and require the best lectors that a parish can muster. The Solemn Intercessions which follow the homily have been a part of the Good Friday liturgy from before the eighth century; their themes of universality, inclusivity and ecumenism are relevant in all ages.

With the altar stripped bare, the sacrifice of the Mass is not offered. In place of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Showing and Veneration of the Holy Cross takes place. There are two possible forms, perhaps the more evocative being the slow procession of the cross from the entrance of the church to the sanctuary. Only one cross is used for the assembly as the people approach to kiss (an early Church custom), touch or bow towards it. Christ’s Reproaches to the crowd baying for his blood are haunting; we ourselves are compromised by this mob.

Good Friday is usually the most well-attended of the Triduum rituals. Using one cross, the veneration should not be rushed. Simple instructions on the participation sheet can assist: ‘stop for a short pause to touch, kiss or bow before the cross’. The priest, servers and other ministers can model for the assembly what is to occur to keep the ritual moving.

We pray the Lord’s Prayer and receive communion, perhaps with more gravitas than usual as our senses have been sharpened to the price our Lord has paid in his sacrificial offering. There is a deep silence permeating the assembly as we ponder the magnitude of God’s love for us. The Prayer after Communion is followed by a blessing.

Again, there is no dismissal rite and there is no recessional hymn; people move away in silence when they are ready. The cross remains: this presents another opportunity to venerate the cross for those who desire to do so for a longer period of time.

Holy Saturday

The Church waits in silence at the tomb in prayer and fasting. Preparation rites for the elect may take place in the context of communal prayer – the anointing with the oil of catechumens, for example.

The Easter Vigil

The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night follows the ancient tradition of keeping vigil for the risen Lord. Augustine referred it to as ‘the mother of all vigils’. Comprising four parts, these rites carry the weight of the Christian story and therefore of our Christian identity; rushing them robs them of their potency. The scene opens outside the church with the Blessing of the Fire. The Paschal Candle is prepared and the Presider carries it in procession into the darkened church singing The Light of Christ; the assembly responds, Thanks be to God. Christ through his resurrection has removed the darkness from our lives; sin and darkness have not conquered. The Exsultet is the Easter Song par excellence, in praise of God and, as a treasure of the Church, it needs to be sung. As our ears are treated to this early Christian proclamation, we stand with our lit candles in the darkened church, our eyes on the Paschal candle, symbol of the risen Christ.

When the people have extinguished the candles they hold, the Liturgy of the Word begins with as many as nine readings spanning the Old and New Testaments, culminating in the Gospel. In order to avoid monotony, it is best to appoint several lectors to proclaim these readings and cantors to sing the psalms; the accompanying prayers assist people to hear the stories of salvation history. Finally after our Lenten fast, we hear the return of the Alleluia! announcing the Gospel.

Nourished by the Liturgy of the Word we revel in the glory of new life through the initiation of new members in Baptism. Catechumens who have been waiting to be received into our faith are plunged into the baptismal waters of regeneration in Christ and are confirmed with the oil of chrism. The Litany of the Saints is sung, calling the entire Church into prayer at this very special moment. The baptismal water is blessed and the Paschal Candle is plunged into the water as the Holy Spirit is invoked, so that all who have been buried with Christ may rise with him to new life. If there are no new members to join the Church, water is blessed for later use. After our Lenten preparation, we now renew our own baptismal promises; we choose again to accompany Christ in our daily lives. The procession with the bread and wine is led by the newly baptised as they present themselves for their first communion. After the Communion Rite, there is a solemn blessing and we are dismissed with alleluias.

Easter Sunday

The new Paschal Candle, symbol of the Risen Christ, now takes pride of place in the sanctuary which is resplendent with flowers; white vestments reflect Easter joy. The Easter ‘Mass during the Day’ includes the renewal of baptismal promises and may be accompanied by a sprinkling with water from the font blessed at the Vigil. The Mass requires particular preparation and resources, for it is one of the few days of the year that many people attend and we want them to be glad that they came to be with us. Again there is a solemn blessing and a dismissal with alleluias.

Evening Prayer of Easter Sunday brings the Triduum to a close. Praise, thanksgiving and petition wrap the three days into a fitting conclusion.

Celebrating the Triduum when there are several churches or communities in the parish

We mentioned at the beginning the challenge during the Triduum of multiple locations or multiple communities under the pastoral leadership of a single priest. Experiencing one continuous liturgy in a single location is the ideal; however this is not always possible, either because of distance or because an enlarged assembly cannot fit into the one venue.

* Distributing the rites (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil) across different churches dislocates the liturgy. But duplicating every ritual across each location is not a good use of resources. Easter Sunday Masses are held in as many churches as possible.

* Those making pastoral decisions will need to consider travel, and the time and energy that this requires for both the priest and parishioners. Everyone will need to keep the big picture in mind as we celebrate, because liturgy is what we do together. With a shortage of priests, large distances and multiple churches, we need to be willing to go beyond our comfort zones to celebrate the Triduum well.

* There are several approaches that can be taken in such circumstances. The entire Triduum can be held in one church and rotated each year to another church allowing for a continuous liturgy to be held in the one location. Sometimes though, it comes down to the practicalities: how big is the church and how accessible is it?

* A common solution is to utilise each church once during the Triduum, with consideration given to the size of the gathering and how the church space can physically accommodate the liturgy. Parishes with five churches could include the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday morning and Evening Vespers on Easter Sunday as a way to honour each community; these two liturgies could be lay led.

* Another consideration will be: where will the liturgy be best supported? If there is little demand in one location, the ritual needs to be celebrated where it will be supported, not only through attendance but also by the availability of willing and able ministers. In a small community, parishioners might be uncomfortable being chosen for the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday. One priest I know has solved this issue by washing the feet of the people seated at the ends of the rows on the aisles (he does give them plenty of notice). This solution might also recommend itself in small churches with insufficient space for extra chairs and people on the sanctuary.

* Having multiple churches will require the preparation of extra paschal candles for the celebration of baptism or funerals during the year. A representative from each church is required to hold and carry its candle. These are kept alight in a suitable place during the Easter Vigil. At the next Mass in each of the other churches, the paschal candle can be solemnly received and ceremonially lit.

​The one continuous Triduum liturgy is always demanding. One priest, several communities and multiple churches make the Triduum even more challenging. As we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery, we do so in a spirit of respect for the demands of the liturgical rites and the people who celebrate them.

‍

This article was originally published in Liturgy News ​Vol 50(1) March 2020. Reprinted with permission.