The season of Lent officially comes to an end this year on the evening of Thursday, April 13th. The summit of the Catholic Church’s Liturgical Year is the Sacred Easter Triduum (three days) - beginning with the evening of Holy Thursday, moving into Good Friday and ending with the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. Paschal Mystery is a term that describes the events of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. On Holy Thursday evening we commemorate, in a special way, Jesus’ institution of the Holy Eucharist and priesthood at the Last Supper. On Good Friday, April 14th, we commemorate Jesus’ solemn death on the cross with services consisting of a Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the Cross and distribution of Holy Communion. No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday because it is the day Jesus died for our sins and therefore we come forward in procession to venerate the Holy Cross. On Holy Saturday, April 15th, our Easter Vigil begins by lighting the new Easter Candle from the Easter fire and then process with lit candles in illuminated darkness. At this first Easter Mass we welcome into our parishes new Catholics who are baptized, confirmed and given Holy Communion for the first time. There is no Easter Sunday without Holy Thursday and Good Friday! Participate in the services during these three holiest days of the church year and experience the full mystery of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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"Building our Catholic faith one question at a time." Archives
April 2024
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