The Easter Triduum is the center of the entire liturgical year and the heart of the Christian journey: there is no more important celebration for us Christians. Here is the sequence of the days: from the evening celebration of Holy Thursday through the celebration of Good Friday, the first day of the triduum takes place, the day of the institution of the Eucharist, and of the Lord’s passion and death; from Friday evening until the beginning of the Easter Vigil, the second day, one of absolute silence and mourning, without any liturgical celebration because the Church mourns the Bridegroom who lies in the tomb; from the Easter Vigil until Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday, the third day, the day of victory over death and the glory of the risen Christ. These three days make the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ present again and make its saving effects present. Through the celebration of the Easter Triduum, the event of our salvation becomes contemporary to us, and we become contemporary to it.
Holy Thursday
On the morning of Holy Thursday, each diocese gathers in the cathedral around its bishop to celebrate the Chrism Mass, during which the sacred chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the oil of the sick are blessed. These oils will be used for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, as well as for Baptism, the Anointing of the Sick, and the anointing of catechumens; moreover, the priests renew the priestly promises they made on the day of their ordination.
The Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the “Lord’s Supper,” in which the Last Supper of Jesus with the apostles is commemorated, when he instituted the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood and “gave” the commandment of fraternal love.
Again this year, because of the pandemic, the washing of the feet will be omitted, in accordance with the guidelines of the Italian Episcopal Conference; therefore, it is important to bring out the spiritual meaning of this gesture. Jesus washes his disciples’ feet as the ultimate expression of love and as an example of the new commandment of love: «I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another» (Jn 13:34-35).
Through this gesture, Jesus, the Son of God, says that human beings find fulfillment in service, which becomes the true identity of every person, a source of new life, and offers us the right key for interpreting the cross as the service carried out to set us free and restore our dignity as children of God, created in his image and likeness.
Holy Thursday concludes with Eucharistic adoration, commemorating the agony of Jesus, who withdraws in prayer before the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. It will be possible to remain in adoration, in compliance with the regulations concerning the pandemic and the curfew, while avoiding travel between churches outside one’s own parish.
Good Friday
Good Friday is the day commemorating Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death. From the morning, the community gathers to pray the Office of Readings and Lauds. Then, around noon, it gathers to celebrate the Lord’s death by praying the Sixth Hour.
At 3:00 p.m., the “Celebration of the Passion of the Lord” begins, commemorating the two aspects of the mystery of the cross: the suffering that prepares the joy of Easter, and Jesus’ humiliation and shame from which his glorification arises. Today is already Easter: Christ, who dies on the cross, «passes» from this world to the Father; from his side divine life flows forth for us: we «pass» from the death of sin to life in God.
The celebration takes place in three parts:
1. Liturgy of the Word, consisting of readings from the Old and New Testaments, the Gospel of John, proclaimed in dialogue form, and the solemn Universal Prayer, through which we open our hearts together with the heart of Jesus and pray for the whole world.
2. Adoration of the Holy Cross. This rite, too, will undergo some changes: the faithful may come forward in procession, showing reverence to the cross with a simple genuflection or a profound bow, but without kissing the cross; the kiss is permitted only to the celebrant. Please note what is stated in no. 19 of the Missal (p. 157): if a procession for adoration seems imprudent because of the large attendance, the celebrant, after personally venerating the cross, stands before the altar and invites the assembly to adore the cross, holding it elevated so that the faithful may contemplate it in silence.
Raising our eyes toward the Crucified One, we adore the One who came to take upon himself the sin of the world and give us eternal life. We give thanks to God because, from a tree that had brought death, life has once again sprung forth.
3. Eucharistic Communion: the faithful may receive Eucharistic Communion with the bread consecrated on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday, in fact, Masses are not celebrated.
Usually, the evening of Good Friday is devoted to the Stations of the Cross, which originated precisely to commemorate Jesus’ painful journey from the time when he and his disciples, «after singing the hymn, went out toward the Mount of Olives» (Mk 14:26), until the Lord was led to the «place called Golgotha» (Mk 15:22), crucified, and buried in a new tomb carved into the rock of a nearby garden. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, the Stations of the Cross will not be permitted in the usual manner.
Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday celebrates the mystery of Christ’s burial: that empty tomb, which prepares the triumph beyond all appearances, emphasizes the importance of hope in Christianity.
It is a day devoted to recollection and prayer. From the morning, the community gathers to pray the Office of Readings and Lauds.
All the faithful await the resurrection, which will be announced during the Easter Vigil. By a very ancient tradition, Mass is not celebrated, the altar remains bare, symbolizing the absence of Christ.
The Eucharist may be received only by those at the point of death.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday concludes the Easter Triduum, celebrating the joy and triumph of the risen Jesus. The Easter Vigil, “the mother of all vigils,” as Saint Augustine calls it, with its rich symbolism gives us a sense of the mystery of salvation, long prepared by the mercy of God.
Even during this period of pandemic, the Easter Vigil may be celebrated in all its parts as prescribed by the rite, at a compatible time (given the nighttime nature of the celebration), while respecting the curfew.
On Easter Sunday, the announcement continues to resound joyfully: «Alleluia, Christ is risen». With the resurrection of Jesus, love has revealed itself to be stronger than death, stronger than evil. Pope Francis says: «The Resurrection of Christ is the source of new life for every man and woman, because true renewal always begins in the heart, in the conscience. But Easter is also the beginning of the new world, freed from the slavery of sin and death: the world finally open to the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of love, peace, and fraternity.
Christ lives and remains with us. He shows the light of his risen face and does not abandon those who are suffering, in pain, or mourning. In the face of the many sufferings of our time, may the Lord of life not find us cold and indifferent. May he make us builders of bridges, not walls. May he, who gives us his peace, put an end to the roar of weapons, both in war zones and in our cities, and inspire the leaders of nations to work to end the arms race and the alarming spread of weapons, especially in the economically more advanced countries. May the Risen One, who flung open the doors of the tomb, open our hearts to the needs of the needy, the defenseless, the poor, the unemployed, the marginalized, and those who knock at our door seeking bread, shelter, and recognition of their dignity.
Dear brothers and sisters, Christ lives! He is hope and youth for each of us and for the whole world. Let us allow him to renew us! Happy Easter!».
Happy Easter!
