We have begun the most sacred week of our liturgical year. Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week commemorating Jesus Christ’s entry intoJerusalem. Our 40-day season of Lent ends on the evening of Holy Thursday as we begin our annual celebration of the Sacred Paschal Triduum. The triduum is comprised of the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night on Holy Saturday. The Triduum is the time of the Church year when we celebrate the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, what is called the Paschal Mystery,
The evening Mass on Holy Thursday is referred to as The Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This is when we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and the service to which we as disciples are called. Our Mass takes place at 7:00 PM. After the homily there is the “Washing of the Feet,” where the priests wash the feet of others to signify our role as servant—just as Jesus did with His disciples. Enough hosts are consecrated at this Mass to be used on Good Friday, the only day when no Mass is celebrated anywhere in the world. The Mass concludes with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the “Altar of Repose,” a place where the consecrated hosts are kept, leaving the tabernacle of the Church empty.
The Church environment looks very different on Good Friday: it is plain and bare. The tabernacle is empty and the door open. It reminds us that Good Friday is a solemn day of mourning and prayer. Our Good Friday services take place at 3 PM, the hour that Jesus breathed His last on the cross. The priests will begin the service by prostrating themselves in front of the altar and the congregation kneeling. There will be Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion (using hosts consecrated the day before.
The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night begins that evening, sometime after sunset. We will celebrate the Vigil at 8:00 PM. The Easter Vigil is divided into four parts: 1.) the Service of Light, 2.) the Liturgy of the Word, 3.) the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation and Rite of Reception (of our Catechumen and Candidates), and 4.) the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
I hope you will join us for some or even all of our Triduum.
Our Easter Sunday Masses are at 6:30am, 8:00am, 10:00am, 10:15a.m., 12:00p.m. and 12:15p.m.
God Bless You,
Msgr. Tom