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."