the triduum
"The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover supper." —Matthew 26:19
Today we celebrate the last Mass of Lent. We pray that these forty days of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice have prepared us for the Triduum. "The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer Easter Sunday" (Ordo, see also General Norms, 19). The Triduum is about a seventy-hour worship service with breaks for rest and other necessities. Jesus is saying to you: "My appointed time draws near. I am to celebrate the Passover with My disciples in your house" (Mt 26:18). Is your heart prepared to celebrate the Triduum in the crucified and risen Christ?
In the Triduum, we enter into the mystery of Trinitarian love and the plan of our redemption. In the Triduum, we enter into "a mysterious, a hidden wisdom" (1 Cor 2:7). "Of this wisdom it is written: 'Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). Are you prepared for what He has prepared for you? Are you repentant of every sin? Have you forgiven everyone for every sin committed against you? Have you confessed your sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Are you prepared for the first Communion of the Triduum tomorrow evening at the Mass of the Last Supper? Are you living and dying for love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
Prayer: Father, it is no longer I who live but Christ Who lives in me (Gal 2:20).
Promise: "I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame." —Is 50:7
Praise: "We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world."
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, December 9, 2000
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 12, 2000