Easter Triduum: delve into the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Diocese of São Carlos
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Mar 28, 2024

Easter Triduum: delve into the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Holy Thursday

On this day, there are two major brands: dos Santos Oils and Lava Pés. The first takes place at the Confirmation Mass, which brings together all diocesan clergy with the bishop, recalling the unity of the Church and the commitment to serve Jesus Christ. During the celebration, three oils are blessed: that of Confirmation, that of the Catechumens and that of the Sick.

Footwashing, a liturgical ritual that recalls Jesus’ gesture before the last supper, takes place during the celebration of Maundy Thursday, which recalls the institution of the Eucharist. The foot washing rite is not a performance within the Mass, but a liturgical gesture that repeats the same gesture of Jesus. The bishop or priest washes the feet of some people in the community, imitating Jesus, as a commitment to be at the service of the community, so that everyone has salvation.

It is at the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, on the afternoon or evening of Maundy Thursday, that the Church begins the Easter Triduum. Offering His Body and Blood to the Father under the species of Bread and Wine, and handing them over to the apostles for them to take, Jesus institutes the Eucharist. This thanksgiving designates the real and substantial presence of Jesus Christ under the appearances of Bread and Wine. The Liturgy offers readings from Exodus 12, 1-8.11-14, I Corinthians 11, 23-26 and the Gospel according to Saint John 13, 1-15.

Good friday

The afternoon of Good Friday presents the immeasurable drama of Christ’s death on Calvary. The cross, erected over the world, remains standing as a sign of salvation and hope. With the Passion of Jesus, according to the Gospel of John, the mystery of the Crucified One is contemplated, with the heart of the Beloved disciple, of the Mother, of the soldier who pierced his side. There is a very expressive symbolic act specific to this day: the veneration of the holy cross, when it is solemnly presented to the community. On this day, there is no Eucharistic celebration. The Liturgy of the Word offers the reading of Isaiah 52, Psalm 30 (31), Hebrews 4 and the Gospel of John 18, 1 – 19, 42.

On this day, the Way of the Cross gains importance, as does the gesture during Lent, as a way of meditating on the painful path that Jesus took until his crucifixion and death on the cross. The Church proposes meditation to help you pray and immerse yourself in the self-giving and mercy of Jesus. In many parishes and communities, reenactments of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are performed through meditation on the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross.

Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is not an empty day, when “nothing happens”. Not a duplication of Good Friday. The great lesson is this: Christ is in the tomb, he descended to the mansion of the dead, to the depths that a person can go.

It is on this day that the Church celebrates the Easter Vigil. The celebration takes place on Saturday night. It is a vigil in honor of the Lord, so that the faithful, following the exhortation of the Gospel (cf. Lc 12,35-36), have their lamps lit, like those who wait for their Lord to arrive, so that he finds them in vigil and invite them to sit at your table.

The celebration begins with the blessing of the fire, held outside the Church, with the blessing of the new fire. Then, the Pascal Candle is presented to the priest. With a stylus, the priest makes a cross on it, saying words about the eternity of Christ. Thus, he expresses, with gestures and words, the entire doctrine of Christ’s empire over the cosmos, expounded in São Paulo. Nothing escapes the Lord’s Redemption, and everything – men, things and time – are under his power.

In procession, the community follows with the Círio in front and the lights turned off. The deacon takes the candle and holds it up for some time, proclaiming: “Behold the light of Christ!” Everyone responds: “Let us give thanks to God!” The faithful light their candles in the fire of the Pascal Candle and enter the church. The Taper, which represents the Resurrected Christ, the column of fire and light that guides us through darkness and shows us the way to the promised land, advances in procession.

Easter Proclamation – The people remain standing with the candles lit. The president of the celebration incenses the Pascal Candle. Then Easter is proclaimed. This hymn of praise, first of all, announces to everyone the joy of Easter, the joy of Heaven, Earth, the Church, the assembly of Christians. This joy comes from Christ’s victory over darkness. Once the proclamation is over, the candles are extinguished.

Liturgy of the Word – On this night, the Christian community takes more time than usual to proclaim the Word. The vigil readings have a coherence and rhythm between them. The best key is the one given to us by Christ himself: “And beginning with Moses, going through all the prophets, he explained to them (the disciples of Emmaus) what was said about him in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24, 27).

Resurrection Sunday

It is the most important holy day of the Christian religion. After dying by crucifixion, Jesus’ body was buried and remained there until the resurrection, when his spirit and body were reunited. From the Hebrew “Peseach”, Easter means the passage from slavery to freedom. The presence of the resurrected Jesus is not a hallucination of the Apostles. When we say “Christ lives” we are not using a way of speaking, as some think, to say that he lives only in our memory.

Source: CNBB