The Easter Triduum is the high point of our liturgical year, containing the core of our beliefs as Catholics as expressed in the powerful and moving liturgies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday Mass.
I have personally always been partial to the celebration of Holy Thursday, the memorial of the first Eucharist, when Jesus began His sacrifice by giving us his Body and Blood.
My appreciation of Holy Thursday began with the beautiful music, the ceremony of the washing of the feet, and the stark contrast between the glorious beginning of the Mass and its end with the stripping of the altar as we remember Jesus leaving the meal and entering the Garden of Gethsemane.
My understanding of Holy Thursday and the connection to Good Friday that we recognize at the end of Mass deepened when I heard The Fourth Cup by Dr. Scott Hahn. It’s about 50 minutes long, but it changed my experience of the Triduum, the Eucharist, and Mass profoundly.
As you prepare for and experience the Triduum, perhaps after school lets out on Wednesday, or as you spend some time in silence or prayer on Good Friday, I hope that you will consider reflecting with this powerful reflection. I pray that it brings you closer to Jesus in the Eucharist, His sacrifice on the Cross, and His glorious Resurrection.
I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to an exciting formation opportunity as part of the evangelization approach that Bishop Williams discussed with us during our inservice days last Fall.
The first step is to serve those responsible for the formation of others (which includes parish teams as well as all Catholic school teachers) by inviting each of us to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. Bishop Williams is providing an opportunity to hone and develop our own recognition and use of the tools of discipleship through a School of Discipleship this April and early May. The School of Discipleship is a transformational program offered by the Catechetical Institute at The Saint Paul Seminary. Many of you have already been invited and registered. I am sharing the information here in case you have not heard about the opportunity and would like to be involved.
The School of Discipleship will take place on four evenings, from 6:45 to 9:00: April 7, April 14, April 21, and May 5. There are 13 locations across the diocese, with the intent being that each of us attend at the parish location nearest to our home parish. Each evening will include small group faith sharing, Eucharistic adoration, and about an hour of formation from Jeff Cavins, livestreamed from the Catechetical Institute. Jeff Cavins provides a helpful welcome video that describes the experience more fully.
This is not a requirement but rather an invitation. I hope you will pray about this to discern whether our Lord may be calling you to this formation at this time. If so, please register for the event by this Friday. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.