Today we begin the Triduum - The Great Three Days. As the Church concludes Lent, we journey through the final moments of Christ's life, leading to his resurrection. These moments are rich in meaning and reflect every human heart's most profound longing and hope.
On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper, including the washing of feet. We remember Christ as a servant who, by washing the feet of the disciples, invites us to join him in serving God's people. We proclaim we are the Body of Christ, graced, broken, and saved. Friday, we enter in the passion of Jesus, remembering the great sacrifice Christ made to effect our redemption. And finally, on Holy Saturday, we celebrate the Easter Vigil proclaiming the dawn of a new life in the Resurrected Christ. The words of the Exsultet, also known as the Easter Proclamation, is sung in the light of the newly lit Pascal Candle. The Proclamation reveals the power of this night in transforming a world darkened by sin and evil.
The Exsultet begins:
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes forever!
The chant concludes:
May the Morning Star, which never sets, find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead
and shed his peaceful light on all humanity, your Son,
who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
These words proclaim the power and the beauty of this three-day liturgical event, the pinnacle of our liturgical year. They sing of the greatest gift ever given.
If you have never attended the Triduum, I encourage you to make an effort to attend the three days this year. In this event lasting three days, we acknowledge our freedom as brothers and sisters of Christ, the freedom from sin and death, and the hope promised in God's reign.
May the Lord fill your heart this Easter with the joy this feast proclaims, may the prayer of this season fill your spirit with hope and comfort, and may you rise with Christ this day and every day with a song of praise and thanks. Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
Have a Blessed Easter!
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
