Easter Triduum explained

The Church is now marking the Easter Triduum, the holiest 3 days of the liturgical calendar, when we commemorate the birth of the Eucharist and priesthood, the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus and then celebrate the joy of his resurrection on Easter morning. These days are also very busy days for Pope Benedict here at the Vatican as he presides over the various liturgies during the second half of the Holy Week. To find out more details about the significance, symbolism and key features of the ceremonies during the Triduum, Susy Hodges spoke to Father Matthew Gamber, a Jesuit Priest and communications expert, from the archdiocese of Chicago.

Father Matthew says the blessing of the oils during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday "is a beautiful symbolism of the unity of the faith and the unity of the scared oils which are used in the performance of the sacraments." Turning to the in Coena Domini mass, Father Matthew explains that the washing of the feet ceremony "symbolises the mandatum," Christ's mandate of the love command: "love one another as I have loved you....."

On Holy Saturday at the start of the Easter Vigil Father Matthew describes how "the Easter Candle is brought into a darkened church and ... little by little this Easter Candle light is shared with the congregation," symbolising "Christ the light of the world."

Listen to the interview: