Religious Education
The Easter Triduum: A Journey Through Sacred Change
If you took the opportunity to visit our church in the last week of the school holidays as we journeyed through Holy Week you would have noticed that the church looked very different over the Easter Triduum—the three most sacred days of our Christian calendar: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Each of these days invites us into the mystery of Jesus' Passion, death, and glorious Resurrection. The changes in the church's appearance during this time help us to feel the story of Easter with our hearts, not just hear it with our ears.
On Holy Thursday, we remember the Last Supper. After the Mass, something very moving happens: the altar is stripped bare. This is a sign of sorrow, as Jesus is about to suffer and die. The tabernacle is left empty, and the red sanctuary lamp, which normally tells us that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, is extinguished.
The ciborium, which holds the consecrated hosts, is taken in a solemn procession to the Altar of Repose, where people are invited to spend quiet time in prayer and adoration—just like the disciples who were asked to keep watch with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
On Good Friday, the church feels even more sombre. There is no Mass on this day. Statues and images are covered in purple cloth, and no flowers are present, reminding us of the sorrow of Jesus' death on the cross. We gather in silence and reverence, venerating the cross and reflecting on Christ's great love for us. The church is stark and still—a powerful symbol of waiting and mourning.
Then comes the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night, and what a transformation it is! We begin in darkness, just as the tomb was dark. Outside, a fire is lit, and from it the Paschal Candle is blessed and carried into the church.
As the light spreads from candle to candle, the whole church is filled with a warm, glowing light. It is the light of Christ rising again! The church bursts into life with joyful songs, the ringing of bells, beautiful flowers, and the bright light of many candles. Alleluia! Christ is risen!
These sacred changes within the church help us to walk with Jesus through His final days—through sorrow, into hope, and finally into the joy of the Resurrection. May this Easter season fill our hearts with peace, love, and the light of our risen Lord.
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Kathryn Ady
Religious Education Leader