How Catholics in Malta will celebrate the Easter Triduum

The Easter or Paschal Triduum are three days which, in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, commonly refer to the three days of preparation for major feasts (such as the triduum for the titular feast).

The triduum means the three holy days of Easter of the Resurrection of the Lord. This triduum, which in the liturgy is like one whole day, starts in the evening of Maundy Thursday, progresses through Good Friday and ends with the Easter Vigil before daybreak on Sunday.

Tributes to the crucified Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in the town of Birgu. Photos by James Bianchi (MaltaToday)

Tributes to the crucified Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in the town of Birgu. Photos by James Bianchi (MaltaToday)

Tributes to the crucified Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in the town of Birgu. Photos by James Bianchi (MaltaToday)

Tributes to the crucified Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in the town of Birgu. Photos by James Bianchi (MaltaToday)

Maundy Thursday: Chrism Mass – 28th March 2024, 9:30am

On Maundy Thursday morning, Chrism Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedra; is presided over by the bishop of the diocese at 9:30am, together with other bishops, and all the priests and deacons of the diocese.

The Chrism Mass is so called since the blessed oils used in sacraments, the Holy Chrism, is mixed with perfumed oils before being consecrated.

The mass represents a manifestation of communion as Jesus willed during the Last Supper. After the homily, the Archbishop and the priests renew the promise they made on the day of their ordination.

After the renewal of priestly promises, the oils that will be used during the administration of the sacraments and other rites during the year, up to the next Maundy Thursday, are blessed.

The first oil to be blessed is the oil used to anoint the sick and moribund in the Sacrament of the Sick. Next is the Oil of Catechumens, used before Baptisms. Lastly, Holy Chrism is consecrated, used for the consecration of individuals in Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordinations, as well as for consecrating altars and churches to God.

Maundy Thursday: The Solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Supper – 28th March 2024, 6:00pm

The Easter Triduum begins after sunset on Maundy Thursday with the solemn commemoration of the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Traditionally, the main celebrant washes the feet of some individuals representing all or part of the community as a sign of service.

After Holy Communion, the hosts consecrated during this Mass are placed in a pyx and carried in a solemn procession to the altar of repose, historically referred to as the sepulchre. These will be given during the Communion on the next day.

The Catholic faithful at this point reflect on the suffering endured by Jesus Christ before his crucifixion and death, starting at the cenacle, and fulfilled on the hill of Golgotha where Christ was crucified, reaching its climax in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Good Friday: The Solemn Commemoration of the Passion and Death of the Lord – 29th March 2024, 3:30pm

The first reference we have regarding the Solemn Commemoration of the Passion and death of the Lord date back to the fourth century when a holy woman named Egeria went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and kept a memoir in the form of a diary which she sent to her relatives and friends. From these writings, it is evident that the veneration of the relic of the cross, upon which Jesus died, originated during that time. Today Nowadays,

The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion and Death takes place in the afternoon at 3pm.

The Liturgy on Good Friday does not begin with the sign of the cross and does not end with the celebrant’s blessing. The celebrant enters the church silently and in darkness, prostrating himself, and the Liturgy of the Word commences immediately with excerpts from prophet Isaiah, Psalm 30, the Letter to the Hebrews, and the reading of the Passion according to St John.

Following the homily, ten universal prayers for various categories of people are recited. The cross is then brought in and shown to the congregation, who kneel before it three times.

All present individually the worship the cross. An old tradition is for the priests to approach and adore the cross discalced, symbolising the holiness of the ground upon which it stood, echoing God’s encounter with Moses as recounted in the Book of Exodus.

In 1956, Pope Pius XII introduced Holy Communion during the Liturgical Action, utilising hosts consecrated on Maundy Thursday.

Holy Saturday: Solemn Vigil of the Lord’s Resurrection from the Dead – 30th March 2024, 8:00pm

The Easter Vigil, held in the evening after sunset on Saturday, is a sacred vigil in which Catholics proclaim to the world the Lord’s Resurrection.

The liturgy begins outside the church with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Paschal candle, a symbol of Christ himself, after the cross, the alpha and the omega, and the numerals of the current year are etched on the candle.

The assembly enters the church in darkness following the deacon carrying the lit Paschal candle, who stops three times to chant ‘The Light of Christ’ (Lumen Christi) to which the congregation replies ‘Thanks be to God’.

As the Paschal candle is taken to the altar, the candles of all present are lit from it and the ‘light of Christ’ glows in the darkness of the unlit church.

After the proclamation of Easter, excerpts from Scriptures recounting the History of Salvation are read, the Gloria is sung, and the ‘Alleluia’ is solemnly sung, all of which lead gradually to the proclamation of the Gospel – this year from St Mark – that narrates Jesus’ resurrection.

The Liturgy of Baptism follows the homily. The water of Baptism is blessed by combining the two natural elements of fire and water, blessed by the dipping of the lit Paschal candle. Afterward, the celebrant sprinkles the congregation with Holy Water in remembrance of their baptism, thereby concluding the Liturgy of Baptism.

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord from the Dead - 31st March 2024, 9:30am

On Easter Sunday, especially during the celebration of Mass, the Church celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord and the rebirth of Man to eternal life, in communion with all those who believe in the Resurrection. Throughout the day, the Church lives the joys, tensions, and all the other emotions experienced by the disciples after the Resurrection of the Lord.