Easter Triduum

The Easter Triduum is a period in the calendar of the Catholic Church that spans from Holy Thursday through to Glorious Saturday.  These are the three days that immediately precedes Easter Sunday, when the Church erupts with celebration over Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  There is great celebration as the Church remembers this event in the history of mankind because it is the realization of God’s plan of salvation for us all.  It means that through the blood of Jesus, through His resurrection from the dead. God has made a way for us all to fulfil the real purpose for our existence; that is to live with Him for ever. 

The Easter Triduum is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist that starts on Holy Thursday and comes to a climax on Saturday.  Unlike other Eucharistic celebrations where the priest will give the command “The mass is ended.  Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,” when the triduum starts on Holy Thursday, this command will not be given until after the end of Saturday night’s celebration. The Triduum marks the climax of Holy Week in the Catholic Church’s calendar.

When I was a child, having four other siblings, our parents would march us all to church for the triduum.  The honest truth is that I did not understand what it all meant, and I certainly did not understand why I had to go to church for three days in a row; added to which, the Saturday was soo long.  I could not understand why they had seven additional reading on Glorious Saturday.  Most of the time, I struggled to stay awake through it all.  But thank God, i now understand and very much appreciate what it all means.  For me, it is the most joyful, the most uplifting time in my spiritual journey.

It is my sincerest prayer that just as God opened my eyes, thus allowing me to see and enjoy the immense blessings of Holy Week and in particular the Easter Triduum, so too may He open your eyes to this wonderful Catholic truth in which the whole Church remembers the salvation of our God.