Holy Week, The Sacred Triduum As we enter into Holy Week this Palm Sunday, we are called to celebrate fully the suffering, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ—full participation in the liturgies of the Church means more than just attending the  Masses and other liturgies, it means to enter into them with mind, body and soul. This requires our active participation: to come, to pray, to respond and to be present. “To be present” means to listen with our ears and respond—in both prayer and song—to the dialog of the Mass and other liturgies; it means to be prayerful in our body language too, to kneel (if we are physically able), to stand, and to be attentive—to put aside our distractions, e.g., the iPhone, and to focus on the “wonderful things the Lord has done for me” and to what He has planned for us.

When it comes to the Sacred Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil Mass (and/or Easter Sunday Masses) we are called to recognize that these are not three (3) distinct  celebrations, but rather one: the Mass of Holy Thursday does not have a closing prayer or final  blessing—rather we leave in silence and prepare for Good Friday, which begins in silence and again we leave Good Friday service (not a Mass) in silence too. The Triduum concludes with a dismissal and final blessing as well as a Great Alleluia! Ending the Triduum and “setting the stage” for the Easter Sunday Masses. On  Easter Monday we begin the Octave of Easter with 8 special Masses.

It is my hope that we all are able to celebrate the Triduum and memorialize the suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ, the testimony of God’s Love for humanity and His desire to be One with Him for all Eternity. Our schedule for the Sacred Triduum is: Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7: 30 p.m.;  Good Friday Service at 3 p.m. (and Good Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. for The Seven Last Words); and, then the Great Easter Vigil at 8 p.m. on Holy Saturday—followed by the Alleluia Party. Easter Sunday Masses are at 8 a.m., 10  a.m. and 12 noon. +A Happy and Blessed Easter to All+