The Sacred Triduum: Rejoice, Rejoice!

Each year, the Sacred Triduum draws us into the very heart of the Paschal Mystery—a journey that unfolds in the liturgy and in the life of each person.

On Holy Thursday, we entered into the mystery of the Lord’s Supper with the ancient chant Nos Autem. Its solemn and restrained beauty carries within it the paradox of the Cross already present in the Last Supper: “But it is fitting that we should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” This chant invites us into the heart of the mystery of the self-gift of Christ. (You may wish to listen to the chant through the video linked here.)

Good Friday brought us further into the mystery through the haunting and deeply moving Reproaches. In these ancient texts, Christ speaks to His people with both sorrow and love: “My people, what have I done to you?” The starkness of the day is intensified by the Veneration of the Cross, and the silence of the Divine Office which we sing unaccompanied and with added pauses.

The Easter Vigil begins in darkness. A single flame is kindled from our (this year, roaring!) Paschal fire. This light begins to spread—as each candle is lit and held high in procession. The chant of the Exsultet proclaims what words alone could never fully express: this is the night of victory, the night of new creation.

As the Vigil unfolds, we move from darkness to light. And finally, it comes—the long-awaited cry: Alleluia! After the austerity of Lent and the solemnity of the Triduum, this word bursts forth with joy!

This is the voice of the Church, the echo of eternity within time. From Nos Autem, through the sorrow of Good Friday, to the true joy of Easter, we are drawn ever more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s love.

May this journey from darkness into light continue to unfold in each of our hearts.