I always feel something incredible when we arrive at Holy Week and then especially the Triduum, as I behold the stories and symbols in the liturgies that speak to these incredible events at the heart of our faith, the salvation that leads us to Heaven, brought to us by the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That feeling especially struck me on Palm Sunday morning, April 9, at 9 AM Mass. There we were, gathered together around the story of Christ's Passion, this year according to St. Matthew, remembering how Christ offered Himself for us. The entrance Gospel contains those words that we sing during the Hosanna in the Eucharistic prayer. And we hear Jesus's words of institution toward the beginning of the Passion Narrative, which sets the tone for all the sufferings He underwent leading to His death toward the end of the narrative. We are indeed, in this liturgy, brought to the heart of the prayers that remind us of our salvation.
What was so striking about 9 AM Mass that day was how crowded it was. The following day at my faith-sharing group's meeting, someone mentioned that, and people expressed how amazed and impressed they were at this totally different set of circumstances for 9 AM Mass, which is usually well-attended on most weeks, but is never so crowded as to leave people standing in the back of Church, except on Easter Sunday. We then got into quite an extended discussion about why Mass attendance has decreased, and how to address it, especially among the young people of the Church. It seems fitting that at our final meeting of Lent, we moved from discussing the Resurrection accounts to what we make of faith in our lives, especially thinking about the issue of Mass attendance, as a sign of how we engage in relationship with the Living Christ. Part of what made that Mass so crowded was that large sections were reserved for some of the RE students who processed into Mass. It was nice sharing the experience of Mass with the RE students, including some of mine, along with their families, who I invited to come to this Mass specifically.
On Maundy Thursday evening, I was back at Church for the Mass of the Lord's Supper. I always look forward to the entrance hymn, "We Should Glory". This year, however, featured a different entrance hymn, set to the tune of the hymn with the words, "Christ Jesus Victor, Christ Jesus Ruler..." While not necessarily what I was expecting, I embraced this new hymn because the tune on which it's based boldly declares the praises of Jesus Christ Who is the Great Ruler and Lord, by right of His Death and Resurrection. And it's quite fitting to remind ourselves of that upon entering the Triduum.
Father Hurlbert explicitly stated in his homily that he intended for it to be a densely theological review of the meaning of this occasion, and I actually liked how he took the time to do so. It helps us to remember that Christ instituted the Eucharist and bestowed upon His Apostles the priesthood on that night, when the Jews celebrate their ancestors' freedom from slavery in Egypt.
Earlier that week, in my Religious Education class, we focused on aspects of the Triduum, and my students had the chance to explore in a hands-on way some Passover symbols and how they speak to our celebration of the Triduum now, including the door with the blood over it, the unleavened bread, and the pouring out of the wine. And it is this celebration that was made anew by Christ at the Last Supper, and given a new purpose, as every Mass calls us to go forth to love the Lord by serving one another--love being the new command our Lord gives us. It was a particularly profound class in taking the time to explore these symbols and how they are embedded so deeply in our faith.
Later, after "Pange Lingua", that song with a hauntingly beautiful melody that is so emotional to listen to, I stayed to spend time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament at Mary's altar on the side. I had made a point to spend time in adoration each week during Lent, simply being in the presence of Christ, and it seemed fitting to do so on this night so rich with meaning at the commencement of the Triduum.
The next day, on Cross Friday/Good Friday, I spent a good number of hours on a pilgrimage of sorts. My uncle's home parish, Holy Family in the Chicago suburb of Inverness, puts on a Passion Play every year on Cross Friday. I had always wanted to go, and in the weeks beforehand, I felt a nudge that I should try to make it this year.
I met up with my Grandma Dottie near her residence, and we headed up north to Holy Family. The one thing that struck me about the Passion Play this year was that it encompassed a larger narrative of the life of Christ, within the whole context of salvation history, which is something that hasn't necessarily been done for the script in the past. It started with Creation, and the first people's fall into sin and away from God, then progressing to the birth of Jesus, and His ministry. There were various contemporary Christian songs interspersed throughout, sometimes offering a lighter mood. From time to time, a character known as the tempter would appear, not just in the obvious points like the scene in the Garden of Eden and when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, but also in the scene where Peter denies knowing Jesus three times. In conversation with my uncle afterwards, he talked about how the character of the tempter speaks to how we face temptations throughout our lives. With the focus on so many other scenes, there was a lesser focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ itself, as it was emphasized in this Passion Play as just one part of a larger narrative. The play ended with the scene of Mary meeting the Risen Jesus. While observing the Triduum, it seemed fitting to take stock of the larger narrative of which one part is the events commemorated in the Triduum.
It was such a well-done effort, the noble fruit of long hours put in by all those who participate in it. I think my Grandma put it best when she said it left her speechless, and that some of the characters, like Jesus and the tempter, played their parts in such a convincing way. It was well worth it to head up there for it. And it was also nice to see it, since my uncle has been part of it for so many years now, and to get a sense for what it is he puts so much effort into. Even as we left, we met some people from the parish my uncle knows well who sang his praises. It was also so wonderful to share this experience with Grandma.
Later, in the evening, I went to the Solemn Liturgy at Ascension. In his homily, Father Bob talked about how Pontius Pilate went back and forth from outside to inside the praetorium in St. John's Passion Narrative trying to avoid facing the truth as Jesus stood on trial before him, an insight I also encountered while praying through St. John's Passion Narrative in The Little Black Book. Father Bob also talked about how the Cross, the instrument by which our Savior died, is our life. That is why we can embrace it. And with that spirit of embrace I venerated the Cross as I laid down all my struggles before Him. It was moving to see some students I personally know from RE participate in carrying the Cross from the back of Church up to the front for the congregation to venerate it. They are a sign of the new life and energy being breathed into the Church.
I was back at Church the next morning on Saturday for Morning Prayer and to participate in blessing the candidates for confirmation. Then I stayed for a while to get the church decorated--it was like getting the bride ready to look beautiful for the wedding feast.
I returned to Church that evening, arriving as the Boy Scouts were stoking a blazing fire for the lighting of the Paschal Candle. It was so wondrous hearing the Exultet, with all its rich imagery, especially because in my RE class earlier that week, we had taken time to listen to it on a YouTube video. And as an added touch, there were special banners we hung in Church earlier in the day that had been in storage for some time, and were brought out again. I found the images on them rather striking representations of some of the lyrics of the Exultet.
I proclaimed the 2nd reading, the story when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. (It was the same reading my Dad did last year at Holy Saturday. I joked that it was like I had made it through that reading last year so I could do it this year.) It's amazing to think of the turnaround that occurs right before Abraham is about to slay Isaac, and then God lauds him and promises him so many blessings because of his obedience to His command.
One of the images used on Holy Saturday is of a feast at which Earth and Heaven are wed, because the Risen, Living Christ brings us back together, so beautifully portrayed in the reading from Isaiah 54, as God pours out His heart in speaking of His deep Love for His people.
The Ezekiel reading speaks so profoundly about how God acts to bring His people back to Him, after He cast away because of sin. And God does it for the sake of His Holy Name, that He may be glorified, just like when He gained glory by drowning the army of Egypt in the Exodus reading, and even in the way He created the Heavens and the Earth. All the responsorial psalms were filled with such rich lyrics, especially the one that tells of seeking God as a deer longs for water.
And then came the glorious moment after the reading from Romans 6, when the bells started ringing, and the Alleluia broke out for the first time since before Lent, a moment that made me so emotional, like in previous years. (And those Alleluias sure rolled off the tongue with gusto in the succeeding days.)
After the Gospel reading, Father Hurlbert started his homily in an interesting way, sounding the cry of a newspaper delivery person, "Extra, extra!", sharing examples of big news stories from the past. He even cleverly referred to the Resurrection as the original "fake news". That's quite an apt description, because so many people seek to discredit the Christian faith by denying the Resurrection--notably Lee Strobel, whose story of coming to faith went to theaters in the movie The Case for Christ just a week before the Triduum. But for those who believe, the Resurrection is news that has a powerful transforming effect, causing us to live differently, righteously, with joy and hope. That message truly speaks to what Easter is about, that we are transformed to live anew because of newness of Life that comes to us from Christ. It's like what the reading from Romans 6 speaks about, that by joining with Christ in dying through baptism, we rise from it to new Life that calls us to live differently as a sign of our transformation in Him.
Indeed, I felt such a fresh kind of feeling as I joined in the procession up to the font as we each renewed our baptism, underscored by the fresh feeling of water that evokes a sense of springs of new life. And the excitement continued as three adults in the parish received their Confirmation, entering into a new way of life as confirmed Roman Catholics, being drawn in by the support of their born-and-baptized Roman Catholic spouses. Then came the victory celebration at the Eucharist, followed by a celebration at the reception in the Pine Room after Mass ended. After the serious focus of Lent, it was so delightful to enter the joys of Easter.
At 11 AM Mass on Easter Sunday morning, I was the 2nd lector. Before Mass started, I approached Father Bob to ascertain from him which of the two choices for the 2nd reading I should proclaim, and he told me to proclaim the one from Colossians. I filled with a surge of energy and feeling alive as I stood at the ambo before the congregation to proclaim, a crowd of at least 1000 people, the largest I've ever spoken in front of, surpassing the nearly 450 people I spoke in front when I ran for Student Council in at Julian Middle School back in 7th grade. Unlike then, I didn't read a speech I wrote, but proclaimed the words God grants us. The reading from Colossians 3 is such a profound one, as it speaks about how, because of the Resurrection of Christ, we can now fix our gaze upwards to Heaven, where we are destined to one day be present in God's glory, which gives us hope and a different perspective that transforms us now to live differently. Father Bob said it well in his homily that the Resurrection gives us great hope, even in the messiness of our lives and our world, because Christ has conquered death, and our lives are now "hidden in Christ" (like in the Colossians reading). By rising again, He didn't merely resuscitate, but entered into a transformed existence, which He share in as His people, and that gives us hope to face our lives.
How wonderful a truth this is, and how it brings us alive, just like the church was filled with beautiful flowers and other decorations after being rather bare--something Diane Moriarty, the director of religious education, shared at the RE Easter Prayer Service held on Easter Tuesday evening. Another point she emphasized speaks to the stories of the Resurrection, when the women encounter the empty tomb, and then go forth to proclaim the reality of the Resurrection. And as a sign of our call to proclaim this marvelous news, we passed around the light of the Paschal Candle to individual candles, just like on Holy Saturday. And as the light is divided, it grows more. That is the power of Christ, Who dispels our darkness with His brilliant Light. In thinking about that more deeply this year, I embraced more fully the symbol of the Paschal Candle and how it speaks to faith.
Indeed, the Triduum is always a whirlwind as I spend so much time at Church focusing so intensely on the events at the heart of salvation. And much like Sunday Mass serves as a driving force for how I live life each week, the celebration of the Triduum is a refresher for me that helps reinforce the importance of faith in my life. It brings me renewal, so that I may live life for Christ anew, as I set myself on making much of the meaning of Triduum days. Furthermore, I am transformed, and now fix my gaze toward Heaven, where we, as God's people, are bound now that Christ is Alive and lives forever. This is our hope, which fills us now, and that we share as we serve others in the Name of our Risen Lord and Savior.
P.S. At these links, you can check out my blog post reflections for the Paschal Triduum for 2016, 2015, and 2014. The 2014 post has the list of my favorite moments of the Triduum.
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