The Sacred Triduum: The Blessing of the Font, the Litanies, and the Vesperal Mass

Continuing from the previous post:   The Blessing of the Font Towards the end of the final, Twelfth Prophecy, the acolytes light their candles. One of them, perhaps the thurifer, takes the Paschal Candle from the column, and another takes the processional cross. After the final Prophecy is concluded, the sacred ministers remove their maniples,…

The Sacred Triduum: The New Fire and Prophecies of Holy Saturday

The Tenebrae of Holy Saturday is a service of sorrow, similar to the Lamentations Service of the Orthodox I briefly examined in the previous blog post. The antiphons of both Matins and Lauds refer to death, burial, and mourning. The Canticle at Lauds is the Song of Hezekiah, normally sung on Tuesdays, the opening verse…

The Sacred Triduum: Holy Saturday and the Problem of Time

My apologies for the very belated update. When I began work on the last entries of the Triduum after the Easter Octave my laptop charger broke. I return to finish the final three entries now that my new charger has arrived.   When is the Easter Vigil to be celebrated? Most of us, having grown…

The Sacred Triduum: The Veneration of the Cross and the Rite of the Presanctified

Continuing from the previous entry on the Lessons and the Solemn Collects of the Mass of Good Friday, here I will examine the rest of the unique rituals of Good Friday. The Veneration of the Cross Having returned to the altar after removing their chasubles, the deacon approaches the altar and takes the veiled altar…

The Sacred Triduum: The Good Friday Lessons and Solemn Collects

The special rites of Good Friday, excepting what is done for Tenebrae and the other Hours as I mentioned in a previous entry, are all performed together as one seamless whole. There is no interruption between the parts, and it can be understood as one complex Mass. The traditional Good Friday Mass is sometimes referred…

The Sacred Triduum: The Stripping of the Altar and the Washing of the Feet

Continuing from the previous entry, concluding the rites of Maundy Thursday.   The Stripping of the Altar After taking off their Eucharistic vestments and wearing violet stoles, the sacred ministers and the acolytes return to the main altar of the church. Vespers can be recited by the choir in monotone while the altar party is…

The Sacred Triduum: The Mass of Maundy Thursday and the Altar of Repose

Due to the length and complexities of the rituals of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, I will break each day up into two parts. It is particularly interesting to me how the rituals of the two days are so intimately intertwined that the Good Friday liturgies cannot take place without the things that occur on…

The Sacred Triduum: Tenebrae and the Hours

Before I start writing about the special aspects of the Divine Office during the Triduum, it would probably be helpful to continue a little bit in the history of the Triduum, and provide a few comparative observations of the ancient Roman Office and the Anglican Daily Office.   A little more history The majority norm…

The Sacred Triduum: Introduction

Of all the wealth I have discovered in my (rather casual "layman") studies of the liturgy over the years, nothing has inspired more awe than the Sacred Triduum, which are the collection of unique ritual and ceremonials for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Easter Vigil. The rites of the Sacred Triduum are…

My Father’s Garden: By the Rivers of Babylon

When my mentor left for Rome with his wife this past August, he asked me to care for their house for the month. It is a cozy little house that was built in the early 20th century with little historical stories, and like many older buildings that are still in use there are various little…