Almost Triduum

For the past many years, my family and I have attended the Holy Triduum at St. Joseph. The Holy Triduum is observed during the final three days of Lent, or the last three days before Easter Sunday. It begins with the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, followed by the Veneration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, and continues until the start of the Easter Vigil on the evening of Holy Saturday.

The masses and services during the Holy Triduum are held in the evening, at around 8pm, and they usually run for about 1.5 hours, except for the Easter Vigil, which runs for about 3 hours. There are lots of singing and the readings are fairly long. At the Easter Vigil, new Catholics are baptized and confirmed during this ceremony.

On Thursday, we attended the Mass of the Last Supper. This celebration represented Jesus' last supper with His disciples, wherein He washed their feet, and, later, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before his crucifixion. At this mass, the congregation was encouraged to have their feet washed and, alternately, wash those of others as well. At the end of the mass, the Blessed Sacrament was processed outside of St. Joseph and into the Old Mission church next door, as the choir sang traditional hymns of worship. This symbolized Jesus as He prayed in the Garden.

In the Philippines, the tradition of Holy Thursday includes Visita Iglesia, wherein the faithful visit seven churches and offer a prayer after the Blessed Sacrament has been processed and exposed at another part of the church.

In observance of Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, the second day of the Holy Triduum was celebrated more like a prayer service than a mass. It really wasn't a mass, but the Host was consecrated and Holy Communion was given. The highlight of the service was the veneration of the Holy Cross of Jesus, wherein the community would pay their respect to the representation of Jesus' cross, where he was crucified, in any way they please. Most bowed their heads, said a little prayer, and kissed the cross. Candidates for confirmation and baptism acted as bearers of the cross. At the end of Holy Communion, the community left the church quietly.

The third and final day of the Holy Triduum was the East Vigil in the evening of Saturday. Unfortunately, we did not attend this service. In the past, we did. From my experience, the mass is long. Probably the longest mass you'll ever attend, except those officiated by the Pope. There are 5-6 readings, excluding the Gospel, and lots and lots of singing. The ceremony starts with the lighting of the torch at the steps of the Old Mission church, followed by a procession inside a dark St. Joseph church. As the celebration progresses and the Lord had risen, then the lights are turned on, and "Alleluia" is sung.

One of the highlights of Easter Vigil is the baptism and confirmation of candidates into the Catholic church. The baptismal candidates are dressed in white garb, while they stand in the baptismal fountain as water is poured over their head, like John the Baptist did to Jesus on the Jordan River. For the confirmation candidates, they are blessed with the Holy Oil with the Sign of the Cross on their forehead.

The Easter Vigil is a long, but joyous event, as we celebrate the Risen Lord. This, too, ends Lent and Holy Week.