Holy Week - The Triduum


Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Easter Sunday III BCP 222)

The real focal point of Holy Week is the story that takes place over Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday night/Sunday morning. In the Christian tradition, the three days are called the Triduum, or the Paschal Triduum. The services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil in the prayer book are functionally all part of the same service, without any dismissals or opening rites between the opening on Maundy Thursday and the dismissal at the end of the Easter Vigil. Many ask how what seems like four days can be called "three days," but the tradition is based on the Jewish tradition of days, which starts in the evening. Thus the three days starts with Thursday evening and goes through Sunday.

I hope you'll join us for the services this weekend. The story is one we walk through year after year, but every year is an opportunity for something new to stand out to us, some part of it to touch us in a way we hadn't experienced before. From someone who struggles with the emotional breadth and depth of the Passion story, it is good each year to try to engage and experience the emotions those first Jesus followers experienced, to understand the immensity of the newness and audacity of the Sunday morning sunrise surprise and the true gift of love God gives to us through Jesus' resurrection and salvation for the world. Come walk the way, follow Jesus. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nutritional Wellness

Book Review: Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, And Raise A Little Hell, by Karen Walrond

The Question of Faith