Easter: know what the paschal triduum is and what is its origin

Holy Week has purely religious origins and full of fervour. In the case of the word triduum, it is also linked to religion and especially to Catholic religion and refers to preparation, that is, the ordering prior to the event or event special or desired.

For example, within the religious field, we understand that before the feast and worship of a saint, people must prepare themselves days in advance (three to be exact). The preparation can also be in a spiritual and mental way.

TRIDUO PASCUAL

The specific meaning of the paschal triduum is the three days of preparation prior to the feast of Easter. These are understood by Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week because let us remember that Sunday is the day on which Jesus was resurrected, according to the Catholic Church. In the case of the Bible, it indicates that Christ was resurrected on the third day, but it does not specify the day as such.

OTHER MEANING OF PASCUAL TRIDUUM

In the case of the new calendar, and in the liturgical norms for Holy Week, the approach is different. The triduum is a new beginning of the liturgical year, since it is the day when it is resurrected, that is, it is the day when everything is born again, as well as opportunities, since life was restored.

After that, it is understood that the duration of the triduum is extended. This unification of the paschal celebration is more in keeping with the spirit of the New Testament and with the early Christian tradition.

Christ himself, when he alluded to his passion and death, never dissociated them from his resurrection. In the Gospel of Wednesday of the second week of Lent (Mt 20:17-28) he speaks of them together: “They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him, flog and crucify him, and on the third day he will rise again”.

The bishop of Milan, in one of his writings, refers to the three holy days (triduum illud sacrum) as the three days in which he suffered, was in the tomb and rose again, the three days he referred to when he said: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it.”

Saint Augustine, in one of his letters, refers to them as “the three most sacred days of Christ's crucifixion, burial and resurrection”.

Those three days, which begin with the evening mass of Holy Thursday and conclude with the prayer of the eve of Sunday in Easter, they form a unit, should be regarded as such.

EASTER AT HOLY WEEK

In short, Christian Easter essentially consists of a three-day celebration, which comprises the most painful days in body and soul and the brightest facets of Christ.

The different phases of the paschal mystery extend throughout the three days as in a triptych: each of the three paintings illustrates a part of the scene, but in the end all together they form a single fact. Each picture is in itself complete, but it must be seen in relation to the other two.

Friday, like Holy Saturday, is not officially part of Lent. According to the new calendar, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, excluding Mass from the Lord's Supper. Friday and Saturday of Holy Week are not the last two days of Lent, but the first two days of the “holy triduum”.

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