The celebration of the Easter triduum today : liturgical and pastoral considerations

Abstract

The Easter Triduum is the culmination and fulcrum of the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. Since the liturgy is the source and summit of all the Church activity, the celebration of this high point in the liturgical calendar, and the participation in it by the members of the Church, should be given a pre-eminence over all other liturgies, worship and prayer throughout the liturgical year. The dissertation, based on literature research, entails an examination of the liturgy of the Easter Triduum according to the ordinary Catholic Roman rite. This study considers the meaning and centrality of the Easter Triduum in the liturgical life of the Church, the origin of its celebration and its historical development over the centuries, and the present liturgical celebration of the Triduum in detail. It makes some recommendations and proposals for the purpose of rendering the celebration of this liturgy in a parish setting more authentic and meaningful for the members of the Church participating in it. The aim of these liturgical-pastoral oriented recommendations is to enhance the full, conscious and active participation of the faithful to re-live the Paschal Mystery more profoundly in the Easter Triduum liturgy and thus, foster their spiritual growth that eventually helps them to live their daily life in a Christian way.