Catholic Lady Talks!: The Truth is out there!: What is the Triduum?

What is the Triduum?

This week since Palm Sunday, I have been preparing myself, and my young Elect that I'm sponsoring, for the Easter Vigil Mass, where she will be Baptized and Confirmed into the Catholic Church and Faith. She will make her first Holy Communion with the Lord as well. She is so happy and excited, it warms my heart to know that there are young persons today that want to know Jesus and learn to live as Christ would have us live, with kindness, charity and love for all people.

The Catholic Church has such a genius plan for helping people learn and discern the Catholic faith. They must begin in Inquiry, getting all their questions answered. Then, when they are ready for the next step and are sure they want to join the Church, they move on to the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, or RCIA. I've explained this process before in previous posts. What is hard to explain, is the way it changes a person. Both the teacher and the student learn and grow in Christ during the year.

For me, it has been a wonderful year, helping a young woman come to know and love Jesus. I lost one young man that wasn't ready yet, we pray for him that he will return to God soon.

Jesus washes Peters feet- Ford Maddox Brown

Jesus washing feet- Giovanni Agosti

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday, and the Church celebrates with a re-enactment of Jesus' washing of the deciples' feet. traditionally, twelve young men are selected to be honored and the priest will wash each ones feet in succession. Some churches include women and girls, some churches include the whole church, as they desire, and have ministers assist with the parishioners. Our priest is using a group of young and old, women and men, new parishioners and long time parishioners. The Elect will present the oils that will be used during the Triduum.
The Mass readings are of the last supper with Jesus and the disciples, specifically, the foot washing.

From the Lectionary of the Catholic Church: Gospel reading: John 13:1-15

Gospel JN 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

_______

The Mass ends quietly and all leave without dismissal or singing, as the Mass will continue on Friday.

Then we move on to Friday and preparation for the Passion and death of our Lord Jesus.

The service begins at three PM, the hour traditionally held as the time of Jesus' death on the cross. We have as the Gospel reading, the Passion reading, from the Garden to the Tomb. This reading is from the Gospel of John, from chapter 18 to Chapter 19:42.

Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane - by Hoffmann

Gethsemane by Carl Bloch

On Good Friday, we have fasted during the day, and some have perhaps spent time in prayer, or the Stations of the Cross. All of the images of Christ, Mary, and the saints have been covered, wrapped in purple. We come in somber attitude, there is no music, no standard procession. The Priests will enter and prostrate themselves before the Alter. There is a reading of the Passion of Christ. All of the images of Christ, Mary, and the saints have been covered, wrapped in purple. Then a procession will bring the Cross into the Church. It starts out with purple covering. They stop three times as each of the three points are uncovered and the priest or deacon proclaims, "Behold the wood of the Cross..". Then the cross is presented for veneration by the congregation and everyone my process up and touch or kiss the cross. This year, our Elect will assist with bringing in the cross and holding it for veneration.

This is a solemn moment and each person experiences it differently. We are recalling the agony that Jesus endured for our Salvation, and many have tears as they approach. After this, the communion service concludes, without new hosts being consecrated, and concluded in a silent dismissal.

The final night of the Triduum is Holy Saturday, the Vigil Mass. This is where all the un-baptized that have completed their RCIA classes are given all their sacraments in one evening.

We enter into a dark sanctuary and the Easter Candle is lighted and then the flame is passed on to the parishioners and the room becomes aglow in candlelight! It's beautiful! We sing the Gloria wish is omitted during Lent, it is always so much more special after the absence.

There are usually seven to ten readings, and our church does them in multiple languages because we have such a diverse congregation, this way everyone is able to participate in their own language for a small portion of the service.

Baptism of Christ, Ottavio Vannini

Then the Elect are each Baptized, and the rest of the congregation is allowed to renew their Baptism through the newly blessed Holy Water. This is usually done by a sprinkling but there are other ways to celebrate this renewal. Afterward the newly Baptized, wearing white, signifying they have been washed clean in their Baptism, will be confirmed with the Chrism oil that the Bishop consecrated on Wednesday at the Chrism Mass of the Cathedral for the Diocese.

The final portion is the consecration of the bread and wine, and then the Elect receive their first Eucharist and Blood of Christ. It can be an overwhelming experience, and emotional for everyone, not just the Elect. As a sponsor, I have been responsible for mentoring my young lady through the past months, and will continue to provide her support during the next year as the first year of her Christianity and learning more about what it is to be Catholic. Usually, if the sponsor takes their job seriously, the sponsor and the Elect become fast friends, and continue to be friends for the rest of their lives, much like me and my BFF. It is a blessing to help bring new souls to the Lord's banquet!