Triduum Sacrum - The Three Most Sacred Days of All time!
The Triduum Sacrum, or the “Three Sacred Days,” are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and The Easter Vigil.
For us today in a culture that denies the unseen, invisible and supernatural to say this is to invite skepticism and mockery.
For people who have a worldview that is based on science and materialism their ability to observe reality becomes narrow.
No amount of proof or evidence will convince a mind that already excludes another dimension or realm of reality.
The personal spiritual formation we have as we open up our soul and begin to change our thinking and behavior by repentance (a change in behavior) is not anything we can communicate as such yet as a real force, a person, The Person of the Holy Spirit is working within us to do and change in very extraordinary ways.
We must be receptive to the Holy Spirits influence even to begin to explain the significance of Christ's life to each of us and the world.
Christ's short human life on this earth ends as a pivot point for all humanity. Yet again the profound significance of that is not recognized or understood by people living in sin.
If we look closely at the historical record we can see that no other "three days" before or since have held the significance or weight of those days for all humanity.
In our sinful natures we have all become blinded to the sacred nature of our daily lives. We take for granted we will be alive tomorrow when we may not be.
Our lives are but a vapor..
Maundy Thursday
The Divine Service on Maundy Thursday is the service of the Institution of the Sacrament of the Altar, celebrated in the evening. This Service of the Institution begins with the Invocation, but there is no Benediction. The word “Maundy” comes from an older word that means “command.” It is derived from the Latin mandatum novum, “a new command,” our Lord’s Words in St. John 13.34. On this night, Thursday night of Holy Week, our Lord instituted the Sacrament of the Altar. Our Lord’s suffering in the garden, His betrayal and arrest followed (St. Matthew 26.17-75).
Good Friday
For Christians, Good Friday is a pivotal day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most important day in the history of the world. On Good Friday, Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:10).
Jesus broke the bonds of death and sin!
The Easter Vigil
The Easter Vigil, (Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter) is a liturgical tradition mainly celebrated in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The vigil is the culmination of a 40-day-long observance of Lent.
The Easter Vigil takes place after sundown on the night before Easter (Holy Saturday). The Easter Vigil is seen as the most important service of the year in Catholic and Orthodox churches. This service celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Seeing the Cross & Christ Daily
As Christians the grace and mercy we receive daily from God should help us always keep the cross and Christ's Passion before us.
Pastor/poet Horatius Bonar wrote in 1864 in his book God’s Way of Holiness:
"The secret of a believer’s holy walk is his continual recurrence to the blood of the Surety, and his daily [communion] with a crucified and risen Lord. All divine life, and all precious fruits of it, pardon, peace, and holiness, spring from the cross. All fancied sanctification which does not arise wholly from the blood of the cross is nothing better than Pharisaism. If we would be holy, we must get to the cross, and dwell there; else, notwithstanding all our labor, diligence, fasting, praying, and good works, we shall be yet void of real sanctification, destitute of those humble, gracious tempers which accompany a clear view of the cross."
Nothing else will fill the void. If we see our faith as one more activity to check off our list we will fail and fall into sin. Our relationship with Christ is just that a relationship that requires we not only acknowledge him every day but be obedient unto death.
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