Sacred Paschal Triduum
Thursday April 9th, begins the Sacred Paschal Triduum (Thursday, Friday,
Saturday). “Paschal” refers to the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The Hebrew word “pesach” (Passover) is rendered “pascha” in Greek, from
which we get the English word “paschal,” an adjective.
“Christ
redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through His paschal
mystery: dying He destroyed our death and rising He restored our life.
Therefore the Easter triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord is the
culmination of the entire liturgical year.... Let the paschal feast be kept
sacred. Let it be celebrated everywhere on Good Friday and, wherever possible,
prolonged throughout Holy Saturday, as a way of coming to the joys of the
Sunday of the resurrection with uplifted and welcoming heart. These days are
therefore unique in the liturgical year and their celebration is of the utmost
importance in the spiritual and pastoral life of the Church.” (Daily Roman
Missal [Woodridge, IL: Midwest Theological Forum, 1993-2011] p. 422.)
Thursday night is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, but it cannot
be a public Mass this year because of the coronavirus closures (the priests
will celebrate the Mass privately on behalf of us all). “At this supper on the
night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus, loving those who were His own in the
world, even to the end, offered His body and blood to the Father under the
appearances of bread and wine, gave them to the apostles to eat and drink, then
enjoined the apostles and their successors in the priesthood to offer them in
turn.” (Ibid.) Recall that this Mass includes the washing of feet (Jn 13),
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and then after the Mass, the altar is
stripped complete bare and the Eucharist removed, recalling the arrest, trials
and sufferings of the Lord. On our parish website (ollcalcity.org) is video
and other links to several websites where you can watch Mass online. You can
also pray Evening Prayer for Holy Thursday from the Liturgy of the Hours. If
you don't have it, go to the Prayer page under Parish Life on our website
(ollcalcity.org/prayer-1) and click on the link to the "iBreviary" which will
give it to you online.
Good Friday is April 10th, there is no Mass. Normally (if no coronavirus) there is
the celebration of the Lord’s Passion, veneration of the Cross, and
distribution of Holy Communion. “On this day, when 'Christ our paschal lamb was
sacrificed (1 Cor 5:7), what had long been promised in signs and figures was at
last revealed and brought to fulfillment. The true Lamb replaced the symbolic
lamb, and the many offerings of the past gave way to the single sacrifice of
Christ.” (Ibid.) This day, following ancient tradition, the Church does not
celebrate the sacraments at all (except for penance and anointing of the sick
in necessity). Recall that when we would enter the church, the altar would be
completely bare, no cross, no candles. Our hearts are bare: the Lord suffered
and died. We can pray the Stations of the Cross privately, and also the prayers
of the Liturgy of the Hours for Friday and for Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday,
April 11th, continues the mourning and silence of the Lord’s stillness in the
tomb. Lent ends about sundown.
The Easter
Season begins with the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night. “By most ancient
tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12:42), in
which, following the Gospel admonition (Lk 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying
lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when He
returns, so that at His coming He may find them awake and have them sit at His
table.” This night’s Vigil is “the greatest and most noble of all solemnities.”
(Ibid., 467) We expect the Easter Vigil Mass to be online, but also in the
Liturgy of the Hours, the Office of Readings for Easter Sunday takes the place
of the Easter Vigil Mass.
As Pope
Francis has said, let us continue to "implore Almighty God for an end to
the epidemic, the relief of the afflicted, and the eternal salvation of those
that the Lord has called to Himself."
Dibby Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.