Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!

For the first time that I can remember, I attended services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. I've done two or three in one year, but this year, I made all three at my home church parish here in Many.

The Triduum is actually one three-day service. During the three days we do things that we only do once a year. It begins with a commemoration of the Last Supper on Thursday night. The priest washes the feet of twelve men as a remembrance of Christ's act of service. The tabernacle is emptied and the consecrated hosts are transferred to an altar of repose. The service ends with the stripping of the altar, and everyone leaves in silence.

On Friday, we gather in silence. It is the only day of the year that there is no Mass. Instead, we read John's account of the Passion of the Lord and venerate the cross. I also found it interesting that the intercessory prayers are common to every church in the world on this one day. We pray for the Pope, the clergy, the whole Church, other Christians, the Jewish people, those who do not believe in Christ, and those who do not believe in God. Finally, communion is distributed, and we again leave in silence.

On Saturday, the service begins after sunset. We begin outside with the lighting of the fire and the Easter candle. We process into the darkened church with tapers lit reminding us of the light we received at our baptism. The lights dramatically come on, and the deacon proclaims the Exsultet, announcing that Christ is Risen and singing praise to God. When the Gloria is sung (in the middle of the Liturgy of the Word, rather than before), the bells of the church are rung in great joy. After the Gospel reading, we renew our baptismal promises and receive new members into the church. We had five confirmandi last night, and one more young man who received his First Communion. In the midst of all this there is also incense and processions and beautiful flowers and vestments. The service lasts over two hours, but there is great joy in those two hours.

Now I'm off to prepare my contribution to Easter dinner.