The Holy Triduum

revised version

Mr. Pablo Cuadra

Religion Class
What is the meaning of the word
triduum?
• The word Triduum
means:
• Three days.
What are the days of the Holy
Triduum?
• The days of the Holy
Triduum are:

• A. Holy Thursday
• B. Good Friday
• C. Holy Saturday
 What is the Holy Triddum?
• A. The Triduum is a
celebration of the
three holiest days in
the liturgical cycle.

• B. The Triduum is the

climax of Holy Week.

• C. The entire season of

Lent is a preparation
for these three days.
 Why is the Holy Triduum so
important?
• The Triduum is a
celebration that highlights
the Paschal mystery.

• Through the liturgy of these

three days the Church
remembers that Christ
suffered and died, but that
he also came to life.

• The Triduum is the

celebration of the Church’s
salvation through Christ.
 What is the connection between
Lent and the Easter Triduum?
• The forty days of Lent are a time
of spiritual preparation for these
three holy days.

• Lent’s renewal through prayer,

fasting and almsgiving helps us
prepare to understand the
meaning of each of these three
holy days.
 What does the Holy Triduum
remember and celebrate?
• A. The Holy Triduum
remembers and celebrates
Christ’s victory over sin and
death.

• B. The Church celebrates

Christ’s victory over the
power of death from Easter
Sunday to Pentecost
Sunday.

• C. Fifty days of joy and

celebration.
How are the days of the Holy
Triduum counted?
• The days of the Holy Triduum are
counted the way the Hebrews
counted their days.

• From dusk to dusk. For example:

• From the evening of Holy

Thursday to the evening of Good
Friday one day.

• From the evening of Good Friday

to the evening of Holy Saturday a
second day.

• From the evening of Holy

Saturday to the evening of Easter
Sunday another day.
 The Holy Triduum
• Lent officially ends on Holy
Thursday.

• The Holy Triduum begins on

the evening of Holy Thursday.

• On Holy Thursday there is only

one mass.

• The mass of the Lord’s supper

which is celebrated in the
evening, and includes the
ceremony of the washing of
the feet.

• No morning masses are

celebrated on this day.
 Holy Thursday
• A. The faithful gathers in church to
celebrate the institution of the
Eucharist and priesthood.

• B. The washing of the feet is a

reminder of Jesus’ command to serve
one another.

• C. At the end of the mass the Blessed

Sacrament is moved to a chapel
during a solemn procession followed
by Benediction.

• D. The faithful is invited to stay in the

chapel to pray before the Blessed
Sacrament until midnight.

• E.. The sanctuary is cleared. All

decorations are removed from the
church.
 Good Friday
• A. This is a holy day of fasting
and abstinence.

• B. Is the only day in the liturgical

calendar that a mass is not
celebrated.

• C. The liturgy of the Lord’s

passion is celebrated, followed by
a homily, the General
intercessions, communion, and
the veneration of the cross.

• D. There is no solemn procession

on this day.

• E. The stations of the Cross are

celebrated during the evening of
Good Friday, usually followed or
preceded by confessions
What is the veneration of the
Cross?
• The veneration of the
cross is the last section
of the Liturgy of Good
Friday.

• The faithful are presented

with the cross, then the
faithful venerate the cross
with a kiss, as a sign of
respect and devotion.
 Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
• A. The Easter Vigil is the
highest point of the Easter
Triduum.

• B. The Easter Vigil begins

on the evening of Holy
Saturday.

• C. This is the longest

celebration in Catholic
worship.

• D. The Easter Vigil

celebration proclaims
Jesus’ triumph over the
powers of evil and death.
 Easter Vigil
• A. The Easter Vigil begins
at night with the blessing
of the fire, a solemn
procession and the singing
of the exultet.

• B. The exultet is a song

sung by the deacon or
cantor proclaiming the
salvation of the risen
Christ.
 Easter Vigil
• A. The fire is blessed, from this
fire the Paschal candle is lit.

• The Paschal candle is a symbol

of Christ resurrected.

• B. The priest blesses the candle

reminding the people of God that
Jesus is the alpha and the
omega, the beginning and the
end. All time belongs to Christ.
 Easter Vigil
• A. The Paschal candle is
carried by the deacon into the
darkened church.

• B. As the procession
progresses the lights of the
church are gradually turn on.

• C. People light their own

candles from the Paschal
candle carried by the deacon.

• D. At the end of the procession

the deacon sings the Exultet
or exultation song. The people
hold their candles during the
song which proclaim God’s
salvific actions.
 Easter Vigil
• The darkened church, the
procession, the paschal
candle ,the fire, and the
exultet are all symbols that
remind us that Christ’s
resurrection defeated the
darkness of evil.

• This ceremony reminds us the

power of Christ cannot be
defeated nor those who have
his power.
 Easter Vigil
• A. After the exultet is sung the
history of salvation is proclaimed
through a series of seven
readings from the Old Testament.
•
• B. The readings from the book of
Exodus are giving special
attention on this night.

• C. After each reading a psalm and

a prayer is said.

• D. At the end of the last reading the

Glory is sung.

• E. The altar and the sanctuary are

decorated and the bells, the
orchestra, and the choir proclaim
the joy of Easter.
 Easter Vigil
• A. During the Glory, in certain
churches, a group of people
are in charge of decorating the
bare altar and sanctuary with
banners, linens, and flowers.

• B. All the lights of the church

are turned on as a symbol of
the resurrection.

• C. After the Glory an epistle

from Paul is read followed by
the Alleluia which is sung for
the first time after Lent.

• D. Then, the Gospel of the

resurrection is proclaimed,
followed by a homily or
reflection.
 Easter Vigil
• A. After the homily the baptismal
water is blessed with the Paschal
candle.

• B. The catechumens and

candidates are initiated with the
sacraments of initiation.

• C. The congregation renews their

baptismal vows.

• D. After the baptismal ceremony

the second part of the mass, the
liturgy of the Eucharist, continues
as usual.

• E. This is the first mass of Easter

day, and the beginning of the
Easter season, fifty days of
celebration that end on Pentecost
Sunday, the feast of the Holy
Spirit.
The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!