Holy Thursday

7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper

  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight

Good Friday

3:00 p.m. Passion of the Lord

Holy Saturday

9:00 p.m. Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday

8:00 a.m. Mass of the Resurrection

10:30 a.m. Mass of the Resurrection

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The Sacred Triduum

Fr. Jasinski’s “Pastor’s Notes” from the bulletin of Sunday, April 10, 2022.

Lent and Holy Week culminates with the celebration of the Sacred Triduum: the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. You may be puzzled by the fact that the Triduum (which is Latin for “three days”) appears to be four days long. If so, you are counting days as Romans counted days, from midnight to midnight. However, the Jews count days differently, from sunset until sunset. A brief consideration of the liturgical celebrations reveals the three days and their significance.

The Sacred Triduum begins with The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday evening. It is celebrated in the evening, the beginning of the first day. This day spills over to Good Friday, when we recall the suffering of Jesus and his death at 3:00 p.m. It is clear from the bible that the Jewish officials wanted Jesus dead and his body removed from the cross by the evening, before the beginning of the sabbath. What Jesus prefigured at the Last Supper in an unbloody fashion, he carried out on the cross in a bloody manner. It is one and the same sacrifice, all occurring on the same day.

Holy Saturday takes place on a sabbath, from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon. Throughout this day, churches remain bare, the Blessed Sacrament is absent, and time seems to stand still. This somber time marks the period when Jesus was in the tomb. An early Christian wrote, “there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silent because the King is asleep.”

Holy Saturday is one of the most unique days on the Church’s calendar; it is a day when it is forbidden to celebrate Mass. Most Catholic churches do not have any public prayer scheduled on this day. St. Benedict’s will be open for private devotion. Come and feel the emptiness, the price of your redemption.

The pinnacle of the Sacred Triduum is Easter. The celebration of Easter begins with the Easter Vigil, which occurs after sunset, and continues on Easter Sunday. The exuberance of this day rightly marks our Savior’s victory of over death.

The Sacred Triduum ends on the evening of Easter Sunday, concluding three days of celebrating the Paschal Mystery.

The Paschal Mystery which we celebrate during the three days of the Triduum, is in fact one event. Each day and every liturgical celebration has a unique feel to it, inviting us to more deeply appreciate the various dimensions of Jesus’ ministry for us; he suffers for us, sacrifices himself, dies and receives new life—all this because he loves us. Every celebration is intimately bound up with the others and teaches us so much about the Father’s undying love for us.

Have a blessed Triduum. Take some time to taste the love of God for you.