We Catholics often express physically the spiritual sentiments we feel within: we kneel to pray, we stand out of respect for the Gospel, we bow and genuflect in humble reverence to the altar and the Blessed Sacrament, we sign ourselves with the cross, we bless ourselves with holy water, we mark our journey to God through pilgrimages. Pilgrimages can entail actual visits to holy places, characterized by prayer and penance, but they can also entail visits to our parish Church for private prayer or special liturgies.

You do not need to travel far from home to make a true pilgrimage. The Stations of the Cross are a kind of spiritual pilgrimage within one’s own church; advancing from station to station, we follow Jesus in his passion and meditate on his love. On Holy Thursday evening, Catholics often visit several other parishes, because every parish stays open for a few hours after the liturgy for quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This year I am inviting the young adults of our diocese to join me on a pilgrimage of 7 church visits that evening.

Holy Week is its own kind of pilgrimage, the most important of the year. We begin by recalling Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Passion (Palm) Sunday, follow him through his Last Supper, arrest, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. The particular focus of Holy Week is the Paschal Triduum, which begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and includes the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion and the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday evening.

The Triduum is one three-day liturgy with three “stations.” Did you ever notice that the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday does not end with a blessing typical of other Masses, or with the words “The Mass is ended?” The Good Friday liturgy does not begin with the sign of the cross, nor does it end with a blessing and dismissal. The Easter Vigil begins outdoors with the blessing of the Easter fire, not as we expect at every other Mass. The conclusion of the Easter Vigil, the final blessing and dismissal with three alleluia’s, tells us that the Triduum is complete.

Lent ends with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, when we meditate on the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, and Jesus’ new commandment of love. Holy Thursday is sometimes called “Maundy Thursday,” because of that “Mandatum” to love as Jesus loved.

The gospel of Holy Thursday is from John 13, the story of the washing of the feet. John reminds us that this took place at the Last Supper, because the Christian call to service is intimately connected with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, in which we participate through the Eucharist. The liturgy ends with silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight and the stripping of the altar and sanctuary of all decoration. This is a solemn time.

The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion is usually held on Good Friday afternoon, at the hour when lambs were slaughtered in the Jerusalem Temple to prepare for Passover, the hour Jesus died; it may be celebrated in the evening for convenience. The priest enters in silence, then prostrates on the floor in a sign of penitence. On Good Friday we read the Passion according to John, who teaches that the cross is the throne of Jesus’ glory, the place of his victory over death, and thus a sign of hope. John shows how Jesus went to his death with courage and love, because he wanted only to do the Father’s will.

The liturgy continues with the Veneration of the Cross. Knowing that Jesus willingly took upon himself our sin and suffering, we recognize the crosses life has given us and tell him we will carry ours at his side, relying on his love and strength. The final part of the Good Friday liturgy is the reception of Holy Communion, which was consecrated at the Holy Thursday evening Mass. So solemn is Good Friday that we do not celebrate Mass, but we are still fed on the fruit of the Mass.

The high point of the Triduum is the Easter Vigil, which begins with the blessing of the Easter fire and the singing of the Exultet in praise of Christ, the light of the world. The Liturgy of the Word is extended, because it is worth the time to recall God’s repeated acts of faithfulness and love, which culminated in the death and resurrection of his son. After the Gospel and homily, the celebration of Baptism begins, which can include the reception into the Church of those already baptized.

Although we frequently use words such as “recall,” “reflect,” and “meditate” when referring to what happens at the liturgy, this is no mere “remembering,” the kind we might do when thinking fondly of a past event. The Liturgy is the Church at prayer, but first and foremost it is God at work, Christ himself proclaiming the Scriptures to us, Christ himself feeding us in Holy Communion, the Holy Spirit breathing grace into our actions, the Father drawing us to himself.

It is for this very reason that the Triduum concludes with Baptism, as God gives the gift of salvation to those he has drawn to himself. The Letter to the Hebrews teaches that Christ died “once for all,” and his death still saves. The Risen Christ is alive in the Church.

One liturgy of three days, celebrated in a manner not immediately familiar to us, allows us to pause at three “stations” and meditate on the mystery of salvation. If you have never participated in the Triduum in your parish, or if it has been many years, I encourage you to make the pilgrimage this year. It is worth the trip.

Bishop Peter Sartain