Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish Celebrates the Sacred Triduum March 28 31, 2013
THE SACRED TRIDUUM The Season of Lent ends quietly at sunset on Holy Thursday. With the Gathering Rite of the Mass of the Lord s Supper, we enter our most sacred of times as Catholics the Sacred Three Days, which extend until Easter Sunday night. The Sacred Triduum is our annual festival of remembrance and celebration. It is our solemn celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each of us approaches the Sacred Triduum with lives that are different from the lives we have brought to any Sacred Triduum before. We each bring crosses, deaths, resurrections, joys and trials with which we have never celebrated a Triduum before. The Triduum (which means "three days") is one unified celebration. It begins with our reflection on the mystery of the Cross, as we enter the celebration of the Lord's Supper, moves through our celebration of the Lord's Passion and Death, and then waits to celebrate Christ's glorious resurrection. For Christians the Triduum is more than its three celebrations. We are each called to "live" the three days in prayer, fasting and vigiling. However, the liturgies of the three days do give us a clue as to what should be happening. On Holy Thursday, we enter the Triduum with the Mass of the Lord's Supper - the focus here is not so much the institution of the Eucharist or the ordained priesthood as a beginning of three days of immersion into the Paschal Mystery (the whole mystery of Christ's death and resurrection). There is no room for historicism (literal play acting) in the Triduum. We do not "pretend on Holy Thursday that the Lord is having dinner with his Apostles, we do not "pretend on Friday that Jesus dies, nor is there an "absence" of God on Holy Saturday as we await the celebration (not the re-enactment) of the resurrection. We need to let these celebrations with their symbolic ritual and the Word of God touch our lives where we are. This is not like the morning of April 19 on Lexington Common. We are remembering in a very religious specific way: that is - in our remembering the reality becomes present. In this one celebration of three days we are afforded the opportunity to reflect on the deaths and the resurrections in our own lives and unite them with the death and resurrection of Jesus through the full participation in the liturgies of the three days. The following is an attempt to break open the rituals of these days to enable all of us to enter more deeply into the mystery. HOLY THURSDAY Mass of the Lord s Supper Before this celebration begins the Tabernacle which normally contains the Blessed Sacrament reserved for the sick, and for private adoration is empty the doors wide open! This simple but profound difference is to highlight that the Eucharist, whose institution we commemorate tonight, is primarily an action. The object of the Blessed Sacrament (the real presence of Jesus Christ which we adore) is the fruit of the action we celebrate tonight, and each time we celebrate Mass.
We begin our celebration proclaiming the Cross of Christ as our salvation. The Sacred Oils, blessed and consecrated on Tuesday at the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, are carried in the entrance procession to this Mass. The Oil of the Sick is carried by a minister to the sick. This oil is used in the celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Catechumens (both adults and children) are anointed at various times throughout the period of preparation for Baptism with the Oil of the Catechumens. Likewise, during the celebration of infant Baptism, babies are anointed with this oil. This holy oil is carried in by a member of our Catechumenate team. The final oil in the procession is Sacred Chrism. This consecrated oil is used in the celebration of all our Infant Baptisms and our Confirmation of children, adolescents and adults. Sacred Chrism is used by the Bishop in the Ordination of priests and bishops. It is presented to us by our Faith Formation Director. This night s liturgy focuses on the action of the Eucharist, which for Saint John is best described in the Washing of the Feet. Saint John s Gospel does not describe the Last Supper with bread and wine as do the other evangelists. We celebrate the Washing of the Feet following the homily. This is not merely a re-enactment of the Gospel story, but is a living witness to the humility and service that the death and resurrection of Jesus, celebrated in the Eucharist, demands. This action is a reminder to all of us that we who eat the Lord s body and drink his blood are called to serve the least of our sisters and brothers. Incense is used on this night and throughout the Triduum as a sign of reverence in the presence of the mystery of the Body of Christ assembled and shared. After the sharing of Holy Communion, all of the remaining precious blood is consumed. (It is a long standing tradition in the church not to reserve the Blessed Sacrament under this species.) The consecrated bread is placed in a vessel for the procession to the repository (place of repose). The Communion Rite concludes with a prayer. The Blessed Sacrament is then incensed and carried in solemn procession to our repository located in the Prayer Niche in the Gathering Space. All are invited to walk reverently in this procession while singing the ancient hymn Pange Lingua. The Repository is open until 10:00 pm for all who wish to spend some time in adoration in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. At 10:00 pm those gathered at the repository pray night prayer to conclude the time of adoration. GOOD FRIDAY There are various opportunities for prayer during this most solemn day when we recall the passion and death of the Lord. Morning Prayer At 9:00 am we gather in the barren church to celebrate Morning Prayer. This includes psalms and canticles, which focus our attention of this day. Morning Prayer lasts about twenty minutes. Liturgy of the Lord s Passion and Death At 3:00 pm we gather to solemnly recall the passion and death of the Lord. This liturgy is not Mass Mass is never celebrated on Good Friday. The celebration is the second part of the one three day service of the Sacred Triduum. This afternoon s service is comprised of three parts. The Liturgy
begins with no procession, no Gathering Song, no Sign of the Cross and no greeting, as it is a continuation of the celebration begun the previous evening. It begins with all kneeling in front of the altar. This action is symbolic of our utter dependence on God. All rise for the Opening Prayer. The first part of today s service, the Liturgy of the Word proclaims the beautiful readings from Isaiah and the Letter to the Hebrews on the Suffering Servant and the great High Priest, the source of our salvation. The Passion according to Saint John provides a variation on the story of Jesus betrayal, condemnation, suffering and death. Death and life, side by side today, become a tension of counterpoint and harmony: Jesus death brings life! The homily is followed by the intercessions. The intercessions today are an extended version of what we pray on Sunday at Eucharist. Each intention is stated, we sing a response, the presider concludes with a prayer. The Exposition of the Cross with General Adoration, is the second part of this Liturgy. It envelops us with the saving power of the love of God. We become new again by the blood of the Lord, washed clean by the redemption of the Cross. Holy Communion, the third part, is shared in simplicity. The consecrated bread that has been reserved from last evening s Mass of the Lord s Supper is brought to the altar without ceremony. The Lord s Prayer is prayed and communion shared. We conclude our celebration of the Lord s Passion and Death with the individual adoration of the cross. All are invited to come forward to touch, to kiss, to embrace, the cross. The cross the symbol of death giving life is the contradiction of Christianity which we embrace this day. We bring all of our crosses to the wood of Christ s cross to find healing and meaning. As a sign of our reverence, humility, and love, all are invited to approach the cross with bare feet (an ancient and venerable tradition of the church.) Please depart the church in silence. HOLY SATURDAY the Vigil of Easter Morning Prayer Once again we gather at 9:00 am to celebrate Morning Prayer in the spirit of expectation shared by the whole church. In keeping with this sense of anticipation we bless the foods of the first meal of Easter brought by parishioners. We spend this day in quiet anticipation of the bursting forth of the Risen One from the tomb, once again, into our world, our lives, indeed all of creation. Solemn Easter Vigil This most solemn of all nights of the year begins in darkness symbolic of the sin shattered this night by Christ s triumph over death. We gather as night appears to swallow up the day, in the presence of the great Easter fire! The new Paschal Candle (our year-long symbol of the Risen Christ) is prepared and lit from the fire. The procession follows the light into a darkened church proclaiming the Lord as our Light and our Salvation the One who has banished all fear.
After all are assembled in the glow of candlelight from the shared light of Easter, we listen with joy to the Proclamation of the Easter Mystery. O happy fault, O necessary sin that gives the world so great a Redeemer. Our hearts burst with joy that death has been conquered. This is a night of memory. In the darkened church, we listen and respond to the story of our ancestors in faith. The readings, beginning with the creation account provide us with a history of God s saving power throughout the ages, brought to ultimate fulfillment in the resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. This night, however, is not just a history lesson. As believers, we listen to our story, we are part of the ongoing saga of humanity constantly touched by the embrace of God s redeeming love. This is the night of Baptism. It is this night that the church in loving concern calls those who have been preparing for the womb - tomb of the Baptismal Font to life-giving waters. We gather together at the Font of Life, to the waters of regeneration. After renewing, and making our own, the promises made for us at Baptism, we approach the Easter Waters to be reminded and refreshed in the new life God has given us. As you come to the water, please feel free to make use of the water in any way that helps you to be refreshed by the life-giving mystery of your Baptism. The final part of our Vigil is the celebration of the Easter Eucharist. The Eucharist is the source and summit of all activity of the church. The Easter Eucharist is the premier experience of this event in our lives. Having listened to our story, and been renewed in the water of life we come once again to be fed and sent by the God of creation and redemption. Fed with the Body and Blood of Christ given out of love for us sent into our world to be the Body of Christ for others. We are to bring life where there is death and sin, to bring healing where there is pain and suffering, to bring joy and hope where there is sadness and despair. By our sharing in this meal we are renewed in our mission to work to build the kingdom of God until Christ comes again in glory at the end of time. EASTER SUNDAY Morning Masses The joy of the Great Vigil spills over into the Great Fifty Days of the Easter Season, which concludes with our celebration of Pentecost. It is in this joy that we celebrate the Eucharist on Easter Sunday morning at the following times: 9:00 am and 11:00 am.