Written by Father Michael 
We celebrated the Annunciation of the Lord this past week and included the Gloria and the Creed in the morning liturgy. During the recital of the Creed the Ordo instructed that I should genuflect at the words “and became man”. This was before my morning coffee and any stretching. I almost fell prostrate instead of bending on one knee. There were a few inaudible “ohs” from the congregation on this shaky move. But it reminded how we need to prepare ourselves for the liturgy of Holy Week which begins Sunday with the Procession of the Palms and continues with the three day liturgy of the Triduum.
The liturgy of the Triduum is one continuous celebration and although you are invited to participate in any part of it, it is fully realized in participating in the whole. Kate Barrett wrote on this in FaithPoint, a column in the Notre Dame student paper Observer. Below I share some of her observations.
On Thursday evening the three day celebration of our Lord’s loving act of salvation begins and it does not end until the Easter Celebration. If you just show up on Easter you have missed most of the celebration. After Thursday evening and on Friday we take a break much like the Apostles did in the garden. We are as human as they were. Even in our sleep though we can imitate those vagabond followers we keep our imperfect vigil. Holy Thursday and Good Friday have never gained the holiday status of Easter but they remain “holy days” if not commercially “holidays”. They are days that we can reach into the unfathomable depths of Jesus’ love in all its complexity.
Holy Thursday focuses on the Last Meal that Jesus partook in with his Apostles and it is the memorial that we partake in each time we come to the Eucharistic Feast on Sundays. But the readings on Holy Thursday are not about Jesus sharing a meal with his Apostles but of Jesus washing the feet of his Apostles. The humbling act of being a servant, and at that, a servant who washes the feet of his disciples is the point emphasized in this last meal together. Jesus says: “If I, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet, I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do”. How do we do that today in our daily lives?
On Good Friday we come to celebrate the death of Jesus because unlike Mary and the disciples around her grieving the unimaginable agony the death of innocent on the cross, we know what this act of love will bring. We ponder the love of Jesus for us as we read the story of his passion and then come to venerate the cross that saves us. We contemplate the joy of what the cross means to us, that one day we will see our Savor face to face.
The Easter Vigil and Easter day is a triumphant day. The readings and liturgies continue all day the story of the Resurrection. New life begins. We receive new Catholics into the Church. They receive the sacraments of initiation. We renew our baptismal vows. We hear how the Apostles are transformed by this great mystery and we begin afresh.
Open yourself to the whole Passion of Christ and His gift of love. Pray this wonderful liturgy as a whole from Thursday to Easter. Make Easter a real holy week.