What are the regulations for the Paschal Triduum?

[incantator]

Hello, I’m a Catholic who received baptism in the previous Christmas so I’m quite new to all the regulations and liturgy. I’m wondering what the exact regulations concerning the Lent in general.

Here is my knowledge so far I’ve gathered from various sources:

1. Ash Wednesday: No obligation to attend the Mass. No meat and fasting.
2. Fridays on Lent: No meat as on the usual Fridays.
3. Paschal Triduum: No obligation to attend the ceremonies. On Good Friday, no meat and fasting.

Now please don’t regard me as just wanting to strictly follow the rules themselves; I just wanted to know what regulations we are to observe. I attended the Ash Wednesday and am willing to attend the ceremonies on the Paschal Triduum since this is my first Lent and I think it is worthwhile to attend all the major events and understand their meanings.

Another question: a Jesuit monk said to me that we are to live the Paschal Triduum holy and I don’t understand the meaning yet. I heard that there are no Masses in those days but we have some kinds of ceremonies. What are the exact rituals happening on those days and their meanings? Also I’ve heard that we have the Mass on this Saturday evening. Is it just a vigil Mass that I don’t necessarily have to attend at or does it have some significance that I might as well attend the Mass And on the Easter Mass?

So many questions but overall I want to know (1) if I’m understanding the regulations concerning the Lent correctly and (2) what are the significance of the Paschal Triduum and exactly what events are supposed to happen in each day.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Zach]

Paschal Triduum: No obligation to attend the ceremonies. On Good Friday, no meat and fasting.

The Triduum is Thursday Friday and Sunday. So naturally the Sunday obligation can be either Saturday vigil, which should not be before darkness, or Sunday. Thursday and Friday are not obligations but if possible try your best to attend.

On good Friday there is no Eucharist consecration. There is a service and communion with the hosts that were consecrated on Thursday.

Also I’ve heard that we have the Mass on this Saturday evening. Is it just a vigil Mass that I don’t necessarily have to attend at or does it have some significance that I might as well attend the Mass And on the Easter Mass?

Yes the Saturday Vigil is significant. It’s longer than other Masses. It starts with a service of light. There a more readings. Catechumens and Candidates are brought into the Church.

 

[Dovekin]

The Triduum is three days when we recall the death and resurrection of Christ.

It begins after sundown Thursday, when Christians remember the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples. The focus is the Eucharist instituted at that meal, but it also usually includes a ritual of footwashing. This is described in John’s Gospel as happening at the Last Supper.
Friday afternoon, still part of the first day, recalls the Crucifixion. The sacrifice that began with the meal he shared culminates in the death of Jesus on the Cross. The first day ends with the death of Jesus on the cross and a hurried burial before night falls and the Sabbath starts.

On the second day it is the Sabbath. As God enjoys the Sabbath rest, Jesus is resting in the tomb. Soul is separated from the body as human death is experienced by the Son of God. There are no public rituals, it is a time for quiet, sorrowing preparation for the third day, the Church’ great day, Easter Sunday.

A vigil filled with hope flows out of the quiet of the sabbath. The vigil service begins after sundown as the Church waits for the resurrection. Our transformation in baptism is celebrated along with the transformation of the Resurrection that brings new life to the world. New light comes. The readings recall the prophecies of baptism in the OT. The waters of Creation, of the Red Sea, flowing out of the temple to refresh the world. The Vigil is all about baptism, the place to learn that if we die with Christ we will rise with him. Normally this is when adults are baptized. It is the turning of the year, when we rise with Christ. If you can attend the Vigil, you will get a new appreciation of your baptism.

Easter Sunday continues the celebration. We renew the vows we made at Baptism. The Greatest Day of our year brings the mysteries of the Triduum to completion. We continue celebrating for a week, for 50 days and on every Sunday of the year.

The only regulations are to fast on Good Friday and attend mass on Sunday, an obligation that extends to every Sunday. Reconciliation and Communion at least once a year, during the Easter season.Beyond that, the Triduum is a time to ancounter the Lord!

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I’d recommend that you attend on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil at least once. They’re not obligatory, but they are beautiful and moving liturgies that only happen once a year. After that you may decide to attend or not, but please try to check them out at least once.

 

[incantator]

Thank you everyone! Now I have some clear understanding about the Triduum. The church bulletin here says that the vigil Mass will start from 20:00 so I guess it extends more than 4 hours until the Mass begins? And indeed I will attend on those three days! After understanding the rituals and the meanings behind them I want to attend them even more now

 

[otjm]

The Easter Vigil Mass is the summit of the whole of Lent and is the most important Mass of the year. Done properly (that is, with all reading,s and presumably with baptisms of catechumens and profession of faith of candidates, confirmation of all of the above and their first communion), it will likely run 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It includes OT readings of Salvation History.

No, you don’t “have” to attend it; you have a duty to attend Mass on the weekend, and could certainly attend one on Easter Day.

It is not the most well attended Mass on Easter (as often we have people attending who are not frequent Mass-goers), but it is the summit of the liturgical year.

I highly recommend it, and as I have been involved with RCIA for about 25 years or so, I have attended it every one of those years. It is truly a blessing.

 

[Zach]

The church bulletin here says that the vigil Mass will start from 20:00 so I guess it extends more than 4 hours until the Mass begins?

I’m guessing you mean 8pm. It will start then. It could last up to 2 hours.

 

[paperwight]

To clarify. Reconciliation aka confession is only obligatory once a year if the person is conscious of having committed mortal sin. It is not a blanket requirement for everybody.
See Canon Law 989,

 

[Rob2]

As the Catechism reminds us :" Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the Feast of feasts, the Solemnity of solemnities, . St. Athanasius calls Easter the Great Sunday , and the Eastern Churches call Holy Week the Great Week.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

After understanding the rituals and the meanings behind them I want to attend them even more now

I’m so happy to hear this! I hope they form an Easter to remember. Many blessings.

 

[Shasta-Rose]

Yes, I’d recommend going to the vigil service, just to experience it. We start off with a bonfire (probably not everybody has a place to do this), then process into the church with candles. We have extra musicians, extra singers, incense, and a long service that includes the confirmation of new members–and if somebody wasn’t previously baptized, that too. Many of the people who go to the vigil Mass are people like me, who were part of the “entertainment” some year in the past and now attend to send along good wishes to the new confirmation group. It’s the most stimulating and fulfilling Mass of the year. IMO.

 

[paperwight]

After a few disastrous occasions when it was either too windy, or actually raining, we have the Easter Fire indoors at our parish. We have a gas cylinder mounted below a brazier, and at the right moment, the deacon tiptoes forward in the dark and lights it. It’s very dramatic.

Another reason for an outside Easter Fire not working properly here in rainy North West England is that many of the congregation don’t want to stand around outside.

 

[Phemie]

The Easter Vigil is by far my most favorite Liturgy of the year. I’ve stood by the fire on rainy nights as well as in 0 degree weather with blowing snow, not rare even in late April in my northern town. This morning it was 5F, it snowed overnight and there’s still 5 feet of snow on my lawn.

Sadly, it’s not well attended in my parish. Last year I think I counted fewer than 60 people out of the 1500 members. Few of our younger members attend and the older members who were prominent at that celebration when I first came to the parish 20 years ago, are now at an age where they don’t want to attend night time liturgies.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Holy Thursday and Good Friday are special as well. On Holy Thursday we’re reminded to follow Jesus’ example of service by washing the feet of other people as he has done. The parish receives the newly blessed oils from the chrism Mass. The altar is stripped at the end and the Blessed Sacrament moved to an altar of repose where we are asked to stay with Jesus.

On Good Friday there’s the prostrated prayers of the priest. Somehow that always brings me to tears. We venerate the cross. Prayers for the world. And it’s the one day a year when communion comes only from reserved hosts as there are no Masses that day.

 

[Zach]

On Good Friday there’s the prostrated prayers of the priest. Somehow that always brings me to tears

Yes me too. As does Holy Thursday when the altar is stripped. We are preparing for the Crucifixion and everything is somber until the glorious Easter vigil and Easter morning Masses.

 

[HeDa]

I think about the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday (Saturday vigil)) as one long liturgy.

The year before I was received into the Catholic Church I went to all three days and my first words after the vigil was “Now I have finally celebrated Easter!”

The readings during the vigil usually takes about 1.5 hours if the shorter ones are chosen and then the homily, renewing of baptismal promises, liturgy of the Eucharist minimum 1hour and add more time depending upon how many are baptised, confirmed and how many receive Holy communion.

Go to the bathroom before the vigil and show up well in advance if there is usually a packed church.

 

[TomH1]

Ash Wednesday: No obligation to attend the Mass. No meat and fasting.

Correct: No obligation to go to Mass or have ashes imposed. A day of abstinence (no meat) is you are over the age of 14 and a day of fasting if your aged 18-59.

Fridays on Lent: No meat as on the usual Fridays.

Correct

Paschal Triduum: No obligation to attend the ceremonies. On Good Friday, no meat and fasting.

You do not have to go to the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday or the Solemn Liturgy of the Passion on Good Friday. You do not have to go to the Paschal Vigil but on Easter Sunday, like all Sundays, you must go to Mass. Good Friday is, like Ash Wednesday, a day of abstinence and fasting.

Another question: a Jesuit monk

Jesuits are not monks. Their correct status is clerks regular.

I heard that there are no Masses in those days but we have some kinds of ceremonies.

After the evening Mass on Maundy Thursday until the Paschal Vigil (Holy Saturday night or Easter Sunday morning) there is no Mass and, in general, the sacraments are not usually celebrated.

What are the exact rituals happening on those days and their meanings?

The main ones are:

• Maundy Thursday evening: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
• Good Friday afternoon: Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion
• Holy Saturday night (after it is dark); Paschal Vigil (can be celebrated on Easter Sunday morning before dawn)

There are others. For example, the Church encourages people to attend the offices of Readings and Morning Prayer (combined) on Good Friday and Holy Saturday mornings. There are also a variety of devotions, especially Stations of the Cross and Veneration of the Relic of the True Cross.

the significance of the Paschal Triduum

This is the summit of the Church’s entire liturgical year. On Maundy Thursday we remember the Last Supper and the institution of the sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. On Good Friday we celebrate our Lord’s sacrifice for us at Calvary. On Holy Saturday we remember our Lord’s lying in the tomb. On Easter Sunday we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. Perhaps reading the following from the Holy see about this time of year would help you here.

 

[paperwight]

]

il but on Easter Sunday, like all Sundays, you must go to Mass. G

[/quote]

I don’t think this is so. If someone has attended toe Easter Vigil on the Saturday , they do not have to attend again on Easter Sunday.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I don’t think this is so. If someone has attended toe Easter Vigil on the Saturday , they do not have to attend again on Easter Sunday.

This is correct, the Easter Vigil is a vigil Mass for the Sunday and like all Saturday evening Masses, it fulfills the Sunday obligation.

 

[Dovekin]

but on Easter Sunday, like all Sundays, you must go to Mass. G

The Vigil is part of Sunday, as you suggested. Days of the Triduum are counted sundown to sundown.

But I would have phrased this differently:

We are obligated to attend on Easter Sunday, and that obligation extends to every other Sunday.