Catholic Easter Triduum: Meaning, Traditions & Significance
The best way to spend this Holy Week, in preparation for the glorious day of Easter, is to re-live the events of Our Lord by participating in the liturgy of the Sacred Triduum—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
On Holy Thursday the Church puts before us the Last Supper at which Our Lord offered the first Mass and instituted the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders. It was the eve before Christ’s death on Golgotha. He can no longer die but daily He is still betrayed, doubted, offended, blasphemed, and “crucified” in the Holy Eucharist.
Nothing would comfort him more than a worthy and loving reception of Him in Holy Communion on this day. Oh, if we could weep for Him, like the holy women did, over the sufferings He underwent for our sins and the terrible offenses He receives in our day. St. Augustine said that a single tear shed at the remembrance of the Passion of Jesus is worth more than a year of fasting on bread and water.
Good Friday is a day of contemplation. It calls us to reflect on the sacrifice made for our salvation and the profound love that God has for humanity, as expressed in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
On this day it is customary to take the day off work and spend as much time possible in silence from noon to 3:00, reading and meditating on the passion of Our Lord. It is a day of strict fast; that is having only one full meal and abstaining from meat. We do this out of love and respect.
Holy Saturday is a day of anticipation and hope. It is the day when Our Blessed Mother was full of hope and faith that her Son would rise from the dead. She was the only one who kept alive the light of Faith when all others failed to believe Our Lord’s promise. Since then, Saturdays are dedicated to her.
St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, wrote:
“It is well known that Saturday has been set aside by the Church as Mary’s Day because it was on the Sabbath after the death of her Son that she remained unshaken in her faith. For this reason, the clients of Mary are careful to honor her on that day by some particular devotion and especially by fasting…
“On Saturdays we should always practice some devotion in honor of Our Blessed Lady, receive Holy Communion, or hear Mass, visit an image of Mary, or something of that sort.”
May the sufferings of Our Lord and the joys of Easter ever remind you that we have not here an abiding city but were made for Heaven.
