Eighteen
Questions On The Paschal Triduum
The
following eighteen questions address the most commonly received questions
concerning the Sacred Paschal Triduum, and may be freely reproduced by diocesan
Offices for Worship, parish Liturgy Committees, and others seeking to promote
the effective celebration of these most sacred days.
1. When does
the Triduum begin and end?
The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy
Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with Evening
Prayer on Easter Sunday.
2. May
another Mass besides the Mass of the Lord’s Supper be celebrated on Holy
Thursday?
Ordinarily, no other Mass may be celebrated on Holy Thursday. However, by way
of exception, the local Ordinary may permit another Mass in churches and
oratories to be celebrated in the evening, and, in the case of genuine
necessity, even in the morning. Such Masses are provided for those who in no
way are able to participate in the evening Mass.
3. How are
the Holy Oils, consecrated and blessed at the Chrism Mass, to be received in
the parish?
A reception of the oils may take place before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
The oils, in suitable vessels, can be carried in procession by members of the
assembly. A text for this can be found here.
4. Is the Mandatum, the
washing of feet at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, required?
No. The Roman Missal only indicates, “After the
Homily, where a pastoral reason suggests it [ubi
ratio pastoralis id suadeat], the Washing of Feet follows.”
5. When
should the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion take place?
Normally it should take place in the afternoon, at about 3:00 PM, to enable
people to assemble more easily. However, pastoral discretion may indicate a
time shortly after midday, or in the late evening, though never later than 9:00
PM. Depending on the size or nature of a parish or other community, the local
Ordinary may permit the service to be repeated.
6. May a
deacon officiate at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion?
Although the Celebration of the Lord's Passion appears to be a service of the
Word with the distribution of Holy Communion, the Roman Missal does
not permit a deacon to officiate at the celebration. Historically, even though
the Eucharist is not celebrated on this day, the liturgy of Good Friday bears
resemblance to a Mass. At one time it was called the “Mass of the
Presanctified” (referring to the pre-consecrated hosts used at Communion, even
when only the priest received Communion). This is also reflected in the
prescribed vesture for the priest: stole and chasuble. The liturgy of Good
Friday, as an integral part of the Triduum, is linked to the Holy Thursday Mass
of the Lord’s Supper and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. While there may be
cases where a parish with multiple churches or chapels (e.g., mission churches or a cluster of
parishes under one pastor) might rotate the liturgies among the various
locations, it would not be appropriate for a community to celebrate only part
of the Triduum.
7. May any
of the readings at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion be omitted?
The Lectionary for Mass does not indicate that any
readings may be omitted at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. All three
readings (Isaiah, Hebrews, and the Passion according to John) are required. It
should be noted, however, for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, the Lectionary indicates
that while all three readings provided should be used, there may be
circumstances in which one or more of the readings at Mass could be omitted:
“Given, however, the importance of the account of the Lord’s Passion, the
priest, having in mind the character of each individual congregation, is
authorized to choose only one of the two readings prescribed before the Gospel,
or if necessary, he may read only the account of the Passion, even in the
shorter form. This permission applies, however, only to Masses celebrated with
a congregation.” Thus, the account of the Passion is never omitted.
8. Does the
Church encourage any other liturgical celebrations on Good Friday?
On this day the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer could appropriately be
celebrated with the participation of the people in the churches. Note that
Evening Prayer is only prayed by those who do not participate in the
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.
9. Do
devotions have a particular importance on Good Friday?
The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2002) provides the proper
perspective in paragraphs 142-145. Clearly the central celebration of this day
is the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. In no way should
manifestations of popular piety, either by the time or manner in which they are
convoked, substitute for this solemn liturgical action. Nor should aspects of
the various acts of piety be mixed with the Good Friday celebration, creating a
hybrid. In recent times, Passion processions, celebrations of the Stations
of the Cross, and Passion Plays have become more common. In such
representations, actors and spectators can be involved in a moment of faith and
genuine piety. Care should be taken, however, to point out to the faithful that
a Passion Play is a representation which is commemorative and they are
very different from “liturgical actions” which are anamnesis, or the mysterious presence of the
redemptive event of the Passion.
10. How does
the Adoration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday begin?
The Adoration of the Holy Cross begins with one of two forms of the Showing of
the Holy Cross. The First
Form begins as the deacon or another suitable minister goes to the sacristy and
obtains the veiled Cross. Accompanied by two ministers with lighted candles,
the veiled Cross is brought to the center of the sanctuary in procession. The
priest accepts the Cross and then, standing in front of the altar and facing
the people, uncovers the upper part of the Cross, the right arm, and then the
entire Cross. Each time he unveils a part of the Cross, he sings the
acclamation, Behold the wood of the Cross. In
the Second Form of the Showing of the Holy Cross, the priest or deacon goes to
the church door, where he takes up the uncovered Cross. Accompanied by two
ministers with lighted candles, he processes to the sanctuary, stopping at the
door of the church, in the middle of the church, and before entering the
sanctuary, to sing the acclamation, Behold the wood of the Cross.
11. How is
the cross venerated by members of the congregation on Good Friday?
After the showing of the Cross, the priest or deacon may carry the Cross to the
entrance of the sanctuary or another suitable place. The first person to adore
the Cross is the priest celebrant. If circumstances suggest, he takes off his
chasuble and his shoes. The clergy, lay ministers and the faithful then
approach the Cross. The personal adoration of the Cross is an important feature
in this celebration and every effort should be made to achieve it. The rubrics
remind us that “only one Cross” should be used for adoration. If the numbers
are so great that all cannot come forward, the priest, after some of the clergy
and faithful have adored the Cross, can take it and stand in the center before
the altar. In a few words he invites the people to adore the Cross. He then
elevates the Cross higher for a brief period of time while the faithful adore
it in silence. It should also be kept in mind that when a sufficiently large
Cross is used even a large community can reverence it in due time. The foot of
the Cross as well as the right and left arm can be approached and venerated.
Coordination with ushers and planning the flow of people beforehand can allow
for this part of the liturgy to be celebrated with decorum and devotion.
12. When
should the Easter Vigil take place?
The Vigil, by its very nature, must take place at night. It is not begun before
nightfall and should end before daybreak on Easter Sunday. The celebration of
the Easter Vigil takes the place of the Office of Readings of Easter Sunday.
The Easter Vigil begins and ends in darkness. It is a nocturnal vigil, retaining its ancient character of
vigilance and expectation, as the Christian people await the Resurrection of
the Lord during the night. Fire is blessed and the paschal candle is lighted to
illumine the night so that all may hear the Easter proclamation and listen to
the word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures. For this reason the Solemn
Beginning of the Vigil (Lucernarium)
takes place before the Liturgy of the Word. Since sunset varies at different
locations throughout the country, local weather stations can be consulted as to
the time of sunset in the area, keeping in mind that twilight concludes (i.e., nightfall occurs) somewhat
later.
13. What
considerations should be given for the paschal candle used at the Easter Vigil?
This candle should be made of wax, never be artificial, be replaced each year,
be only one in number, and be of sufficiently large size that it may convey the
truth that Christ is the light of the world. The paschal candle is the symbol
of the light of Christ, rising in glory,
scattering the darkness of our hearts and minds. Above all, the paschal candle
should be a genuine candle, the pre-eminent symbol of the light of Christ.
Choice of size, design, and color should be made in relationship to the
sanctuary in which it will be placed.
14. In the
case of mission churches and cluster parishes, can multiple paschal candles be
used for the Service of Light?
The Roman Missal, not envisioning the
pastoral situation of mission churches or cluster parishes, specifies that only
one paschal candle is used. To accommodate the particular circumstances, the
Secretariat of Divine Worship might suggest that the candles from the mission
churches or other parish churches could be present at the Easter Vigil, having been
prepared in advance, and blessed alongside the main candle (perhaps having
deacons or other representatives holding them). In keeping with the rubrics,
for the lighting and procession only one candle should be lit (the principal
one, or the one which will remain in that particular church). As the other
candles in the congregation are lit, the other paschal candles could be lit and
held(but not high, in order to maintain the prominence of the one principal
candle) by someone at their place in the assembly. Once all the candles are
extinguished after the singing of the Exsultet, the other paschal
candles are put aside. On Easter Sunday morning, those candles could be taken
to each of the missions and carried, lit, in the entrance procession at the
first Mass at each church and put in place in the sanctuary.
15. How many
readings should be proclaimed at the Easter Vigil?
One of the unique aspects of the Easter Vigil is the recounting of the
outstanding deeds of the history of salvation. These deeds are related in seven
readings from the Old Testament chosen from the law and the prophets and two
readings from the New Testament, namely from the Apostle Paul and from the
Gospel. Thus, the Lord meets us once again on our journey and, “beginning with
Moses and all the prophets” (Lk 24:27) opens up our minds and hearts, preparing
us to share in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup. The
faithful are encouraged to meditate on these readings by the singing of a
responsorial psalm, followed by a silent pause, and then by the celebrant’s
prayer. Meditation on these readings is so significant for this night that we
are strongly urged to use all the readings whenever it can be done. Only in the
case of grave pastoral circumstances can the number of readings be reduced. In
such cases, at least three readings from the Old Testament should be read,
always including Exodus 14.
16. How is
the First Communion of the neophytes to be emphasized during the Easter Vigil?
The celebrant, before he says, Behold the Lamb of God, may make a brief
remark to the neophytes about their first Communion and about the importance of
so great a mystery, which is the climax of initiation and the center of the
Christian life. This is a night when all should be able to receive Holy Communion
under both forms.
17. What
directions are given for the celebration of Masses on Easter Sunday?
Mass is to be celebrated on Easter Day with great solemnity. A full complement
of ministers and the use of liturgical music should be evident in all
celebrations. On Easter Sunday in the dioceses of the United States, the rite
of the renewal of baptismal promises may take place after the homily, followed
by the sprinkling with water blessed at the Vigil, during which the antiphon Vidi aquam, or some other song of baptismal character
should be sung. (If the renewal of baptismal promises does not occur, then the
Creed is said. The Roman Missal notes that the Apostles' Creed,
"the baptismal Symbol of the Roman Church," might be appropriately
used during Easter Time.) The holy water fonts at the entrance to the church
should also be filled with the same water. On the subsequent Sundays of Easter,
it is appropriate that the Rite for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water take
the place of the Penitential Act.
18. Where is
the paschal candle placed during Easter Time?
The paschal candle has its proper place either by the ambo or by the altar and
should be lit at least in all the more solemn liturgical celebrations of the
season until Pentecost Sunday, whether at Mass, or at Morning and Evening
Prayer. After Easter Time the candle should be kept with honor in the
baptistery, so that in the celebration of Baptism the candles of the baptized
may be lit from it. In the celebration of funerals the paschal candle should be
placed near the coffin to indicate Christ’s undying presence, his victory over
sin and death, and the promise of sharing in Christ’s victory by virtue of
being part of the Body of Christ (see Order of Christian Funerals, no.
35). The paschal candle should not otherwise be lit nor placed in the sanctuary
outside Easter Time.
