Lent is a time of spiritual reflection and growth, which often requires breaking away from the physical world and retreating to an interior peace. For the forty days of Lent Catholics fasted and abstained from meat; we purged ourselves of earthly attachments; we did away with simple pleasures in life and caused ourselves to suffer in union with Christ. Catholics not only embrace suffering as it is thrown our way by chance or circumstance - we actively seek it out. We set aside a special time every year in which we go above and beyond the burdens that life hands us, and add crosses of our own making to carry on our journey…
Those crazy Catholics. Are they not allowed to simply enjoy life?
But then again…Aren’t Catholics the ones who drink alcohol and gamble? Don’t their church’s host bingo tournaments and serve beer at street festivals? And Catholics certainly know how to host a wedding reception; Catholics are no strangers to a good party. And then there is the wine (with real alcohol!) that is used at Mass. And look at all of those statues and paintings, stained glass and ornate architecture, the candles and the incense – Catholics do seem to enjoy, and make use of, their physical surroundings. We seem to embrace the physical world. Why, some of those paintings and sculptures are even nude!
Those crazy Catholics. Perhaps they enjoy life a bit too much…
It would be easy to assume that Lenten Catholics and Easter Catholics are somewhat contradictory. On the surface, the two faces of Catholicism as described above certainly appear to contradict: Are Catholics self-loathing masochists, who wallow in their own suffering while rejecting worldly pleasures? Or are Catholics over-indulgent lovers of the material world, who put too much emphasis on the physical? These are of course exaggerations… but we might ask more fairly: Are Catholics a Lenten people or an Easter people?
Make no mistake, Catholics do get accused of both extremes depending on who you ask. So to correctly understand these two competing impressions of Catholic behavior we must view them in light of Christ and His Incarnation together with His suffering, death and Resurrection.
First the Incarnation: The Son of God became flesh, and in so doing He took upon Himself His own creation in bodily form. He became a man and lived in the physical world. Catholics have always viewed this reality as a sign of God’s love for the material world which He made. Indeed, the act of creation itself was an act of Love.
God loves His creation so much that He is willing to enter into it. And He participated in His creation most fully as the man Jesus. Jesus gave us physical signs of God’s love by working miracles: restoring sight to the blind so that they could see the physical beauty of the world, making the lame walk so that they could walk and run and play and live life to the fullest, and changing water into wine at a wedding feast. Catholics learned their joy of life from Jesus (who also knew how to throw a good wedding reception).
But then there is His Passion and death: Jesus was rejected by the world which He loved so much. He was despised and made to suffer. He was cut off from those He loved and subjected to an excruciating death. He told us that we too will be hated and rejected by the world and made to carry our own crosses. We may not face the save gruesome death (though many have indeed been martyred) but death will certainly come for us, and we will be cut off from the physical world. We must be prepared to give it all up as He freely gave up His life for us.
So the God who gave us wine to drink at our wedding feasts and eyes to see the beauty of the created world also promises us that these things are passing joys. Do not store up earthly treasures, but rather store up treasures in heaven. Jesus wants us to enjoy life, but also be willing to give it all up in an instant when He calls for us.
Catholic behavior may seem like a contradiction to those who do not understand, but Jesus also seemed like a contradiction to the people of His time – a man who also claimed to be God; a prophet who preached against sin and yet ate with sinners; the King of kings and who was nailed to a cross instead of seated on a throne. He came into the world, but was not of the world. He loved the world, but freely gave up His life.
The Resurrection merges these two contradictions together and gives us a deeper understanding to both sides. The Incarnation and the life of Jesus certainly show us God’s love of creation. And Jesus’ Passion and death show us the depth of suffering and separation from the physical world we must endure. Then finally, the Resurrection teaches us that our enjoyment of physical creation here and now will be restored, or rather fulfilled and made complete, after it has been perfected. When we are raised up body and soul as a new creation, then we will know the full joy of what it means to be created beings.
God loves His creation and wants us to love it too. But He warns us to not become too attached to what is around us, not because it is evil to enjoy life, but because it is not yet perfected.
Having completed our observance of Lent and now celebrating the joy of the Easter Season, many Catholics are returning to some of their favorite worldly things, like eating chocolate or drinking coffee or enjoying some other decadent treat which they had given up during the penitential time leading up to the Resurrection. As we fall back into our old luxuries, we must always be keenly aware that our joy is not complete, not fulfilled. It is fleeting. Just as the wine eventually was drank to the last drop at Cana, we can enjoy what God gives to us, but must be ready to lay it aside at the proper time.
But while there is wine to be had and we celebrate the bridegroom’s triumph over death this Easter, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of His creation.
Have a Blessed Easter!
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God our Father,
by raising Christ your Son
you conquered the power of death
and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Let our celebration today raise us up
and renew our lives by the Spirit that is within us.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia;
The Son whom you merited to bear, Alleluia,
has risen as He said, Alleluia.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia,
For the Lord is truly Risen, Alleluia.
Tonight marks the beginning of the Triduum – the three days from Holy Thursday evening to Easter Saturday evening – during which Catholics commemorate the Last Supper, the Passion and Crucifixion, and finally the vigil at the tomb awaiting the Resurrection. This three-day Liturgical celebration caps off Holy Week which began the preceding weekend on Palm Sunday (which recalls Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem).
Holy Thursday
Tonight we remember the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. In preparation for His death, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples, His last meal before His death. And at that celebration Christ gave new meaning to the unleavened bread and the cup of blessing, by proclaiming: “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood” – linking His sacrificial death to the Communion meal now celebrated at every Mass.
Also at that meal final Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles to demonstrate the humble service to which they would be called as leaders of the Church. If Jesus - their Master - washed their feet, then how much more ought they to wash the feet of others. On this night, during Mass members of the congregation are selected to have their feet ceremoniously washed by the presiding celebrant (the priest or bishop presiding at Mass.)
At the end of the Mass, the consecrated Eucharist (which Catholics believe to be the Body and Blood of Jesus – His Real Presence in our midst) is transferred from the main altar to a temporary location, usually outside of the main sanctuary at a suitable altar of repose. There members of the faithful can wait with the Lord through the night, just as the Apostles were called to do in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested.
The service ends abruptly, with no concluding hymn or procession. All leave in silence. The liturgy does not end…it continues the following day.
Good Friday
On Good Friday the death of our Savior is recalled. In the afternoon of this day the Liturgy begins (or rather, takes up again where it left off on Thursday) in silence, as the priest prostrates himself (lies flat upon the floor) before the altar as a sign of reverence and humility in honor of Christ’s sacrifice. A cross or crucifix is brought forward for the faithful to reverence (with a kiss, a touch, or a bow).
Scriptural readings include the story of the Passion from John’s Gospel. As the story of Jesus’ suffering and death are recounted, the faithful are given a part to play. When Pilate asks what ought to be done with Jesus, the man who claims to be King of the Jews, we cry out, “Crucify him!” We also are given the role of taunting and ridiculing Jesus on the Cross. This aspect of Good Friday is meant to emphasize the point that we are all guilty and we all cause Jesus to suffer by our sinfulness. We are the ones who bear the blame for His death.
There is no consecration of the Eucharist on Good Friday. When Communion is distributed, the Body is taken from the altar of repose where it has been kept since the previous evening.
Afterward, all leave in silence…for again, the Liturgy does not truly end, but will continue the following evening.
Holy Saturday
Since the time of the Second Vatican Council and the renewal of the Liturgy, the Holy Saturday celebration has become a sort of “crowning jewel” of the Liturgical Season. Filled with multiple symbols and significance, this night stands out among other Masses as a real point of inspiration (when it is celebrated faithfully and with reverence).
We begin outside (whenever possible) around a fire, in the dark of the evening. The fire is blessed, and a large candle (the Paschal Candle or Easter Candle) is also blessed and lit from the fire. The flame of the Paschal Candle represents Christ “the Light of the World.” The congregation lights smaller candles from the larger Paschal Candle as we all receive our light from Christ. We process into a darkened church which is soon aglow in the light of the many small candles, as we pass flames from one to another, until the whole congregation is assembled. Then the proclamation of Christ’s Resurrection is read or sung and the lights of the church are turned on. Then the Mass continues.
Among some of the other features of Holy Saturday, those seeking full communion with the Church are baptized and Confirmed and receive their first Communion. After completing many weeks of training in the faith, Holy Saturday is the traditional day of accepting these new Catholics into the fold. For this purpose, holy water is blessed and the chrism (holy oil used for anointing), which was only recently consecrated at the beginning of Holy Week, is used in the ceremony.
Also, the “Alleluia” is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent. Since Lent is a time of penance, a somber reflective season, the grand Alleluia, which is usually sung before the Gospel, has been omitted for forty days. The Alleluia makes a glorious return on Easter Saturday evening.
And with that the Gospel is proclaimed that Jesus has risen, and the long wait of Lent is over.
I would strongly urge anyone who is able to participate in all three days of the Triduum if at all possible. It encapsulates the entire Passion of Christ and plays it out in real time before your eyes with liturgical precision. In the Triduum the true meaning of Easter is celebrated within the Universal Church, as the whole Body of Christ’s believers await the risen Christ.
Jesus' Body Is Laid in the Tomb
At Mass:
Without a word spoken and with little ceremony, Jesus Body is placed in the tabernacle. But unlike those gathered at the foot of the cross on Calvary, we know the end of the story. The risen Christ is inside us and we carry Him out into the world. While they mourned His loss before their Sabbath rest, we bring Him with us as we leave this Sabbath celebration
Some who are gathered there with us at Mass plan to return to His resting place in the sanctuary of the church, just as others visited the tomb. And they too will be rewarded as they pay homage to their Savior.
[For an explanation of this series of meditations on the Way of the Cross see this Introduction.]
Jesus' Body is Removed from the Cross
At Mass:
We come forward to receive He who died to bring life to the world as we hear the words: “The body of Christ!”
And we respond: “Amen!”
Mary is called Theotokos - the God-bearer. She bore Christ in her womb and suffered with Him as He accepted His cross and gave up His life for the world. She came forward to receive His body when many others turned away.
We become bearers of God as we come forward to receive His body now. We, like Mary, say “yes” – AMEN – and receive the Lord into our bodies and into our hearts.
[For an explanation of the series of meditations on the Way of the Cross, see this Introduction.]
Jesus Dies on the Cross
With His suffering at an end, Jesus announces, “It is finished,” and gives up His Spirit. His bloody sacrifice fulfills the animal sacrifices once offered by the Jews in the Temple, and so the Temple curtain rips from top to bottom as the earth trembles and the sky darkens. The true “Lamb of God” has been slain.
At Mass:
We sing or recite:
“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.”
Jesus is the Lamb of God that is foreshadowed by the Passover lambs sacrificed and consumed by the Jews since the time of Moses. His death cleanses the world of sin and His Blood washes us and makes us new creatures in God’s eyes. Through His death, God will “Have mercy on us” and “Grant us peace.”
The Jews sacrificed new lambs every year at Passover, unable to fill the void between them and God. But with Jesus’ death “It is finished” – mercy and peace has triumphed.
[For an explanation of the series of meditations on the Way of the Cross, see this Introduction.]
Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
Jesus’ arms are stretched out on the wood of the cross and nails are driven into His flesh. His hands and feet are pierced as the hammer blows drive the shafts of metal through His skin until they penetrate through to the other side, pinning Him to the cross, where He awaits the peace that death will bring.
At Mass:
We all exchange a sign of Christ’s Peace.
Jesus extended His arms on the cross in submission to a violent death. The excruciating agony that He must have suffered at that moment earned for us our eternal peace in Heaven which we now eagerly await. As we gather for Mass and experience a foretaste of the Heavenly banquet, we offer a sign of that Peace as we extend our arms to one another in a handshake or a warm embrace.
We might think of our own hands as we turn to our neighbors to offer this sign of peace, and imagine how we might use our hands to do Christ’s work as His own hands are pierced and bleeding on the cross. His agony on the Cross, which was anything but peaceful, has purchased for us our lasting peace. We respond with the work of our hands.
[For an explanation of this series of meditations on the Way of the Cross, see this Introduction.]
Lent is a time of spiritual reflection and growth, which often requires breaking away from the physical world and retreating to an interior peace. For the forty days of Lent Catholics fasted and abstained from meat; we purged ourselves of earthly attachments; we did away with simple pleasures in life and caused ourselves to suffer in union with Christ. Catholics not only embrace suffering as it is thrown our way by chance or circumstance - we actively seek it out. We set aside a special time every year in which we go above and beyond the burdens that life hands us, and add crosses of our own making to carry on our journey…
