Faith Fact

The Sacred Paschal

The Sacred Paschal Triduum is the central liturgical celebration of the Roman . The three liturgies of Holy Thursday, and the Vigil are, in fact, ONE continuous liturgy that commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Christ.

During the Triduum there are some unusual rites that may seem very . We will listen to Scripture, wash feet, anoint with oil, eat, drink, and sing. But these ordinary things will be blessed by the extraordinary!

Holy Thursday The Triduum begins with the of the Lord’s Supper, a celebration of the institution of the . This liturgy, at first glance, seems like a regular Mass. We gather, then we listen to the wisdom of Scripture. But after the , the comes alive with the Washing of the Feet.

“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 also should do.” (John 13:1-15)

The Mass continues with the Liturgy of the Eucharist but instead of the usual after , the ancient and very moving rite of the Transfer of the Most takes place. We depart in silence and are encouraged to stay a while in prayer with our Eucharistic Lord at the of Repose.

Good Friday Good Friday is the one day in the whole year when the Catholic Church does NOT celebrate Mass—the Eucharistic liturgy. It is incorrect to call the Good Friday liturgy a Mass because the priest will not pray the words that change the bread and wine into the Body and . We do receive Communion on Good Friday, but the hosts were consecrated the night before at Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

The death of Jesus on the Cross liberated humanity from the slavery of sin. His obedience destroyed the disease of disobedience. It is fitting that on the day on which we commemorate the death of the Lord, we receive the pledge of eternal life in the Holy Eucharist.

The Good Friday liturgy is a solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion. It has three parts:

 Liturgy of the Word (including the Passion according to John)  Adoration of the Cross  Holy Communion

Deacon: Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. All: Come, let us adore.

Holy Saturday: The Easter Vigil is the greatest and most noble of all liturgical . It is intimately connected with our RCIA Elect, who have prepared all year for their reception of the Sacraments of Initiation on this night.

The liturgy of the Easter Vigil consists of four parts:

 Lucenarium (Service of Light)  Liturgy of the Word  Baptismal Liturgy  Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Lucenarium includes the blessing of the ; the preparation of the which leads the of Light; and the solemn chanting of the , the proclamation of the Risen Christ that is arguably the Church’s greatest song.

Liturgy of the Word gives a basic overview of salvation history, from the Creation story in Genesis through the Resurrection account in the Gospel.

“We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has power over him.” (Romans 6:3-11)

During the Baptismal Liturgy, our RCIA Elect receive the Sacraments of and . Those who are already validly baptized are formally welcomed into the Church at the Rite of Reception.

“May the power of the Holy Spirit come down through your Son into the fullness of this font, So that all who have been buried with Christ by baptism into death may rise again to life with him…” (Blessing of Baptismal Water)

Once the Baptismal Liturgy is completed, we move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Mass proceeds as usual, but now with the presence of our new Christians who receive Communion for the first time on this night. They are a living symbol of the Risen Christ. Their faith inspires and renews the faith of those of us who have been walking this journey for many years.

Source: Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Beaverton, Oregon (website)