EasterTriduum 2012

Here is (I hope) A slide show of our recent Holy Week, our last in Esopus.Enjoy.

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/Hildegardnpleva/?action=view&current=bbfc9831.pbw

Holy Thursday

The Monastic Triduum

Many, especially those discerning a religious vocation, read this blog to gain an insight into the nature of contemplative monastic religious life and, more particularly, into the way Redemptoristines live it. Today I would like to offer a snapshot of our monastic way during the Holy Week Triduum.

At the close of Compline (Night Prayer) on Tuesday evening, we entered into our Holy Week Retreat. This means that the atmosphere in the monastery is very quiet. What we describe as a 'recollected' way of doing things is the norm. There is no unnecessary conversation. There is no conversation at any meals. The atmosphere of recollection, both exterior and interior, allows for a greater availability to God's grace. We work only minimally at our regularly assigned tasks so that we have more time for prayer and meditation on the nature of these holy days.

But, as in any Christian institution or home at this time of the liturgical year, this is a very busy place. In one way or another, each of us is engaged in preparing for the liturgies, rituals, and celebratory meals of these days. Ritual objects are being cleaned and assembled (bowl and pitcher for foot washing plus necessary towels, decorated altar of reposition, crosses for veneration, incensor, books, special altar cloths and vestments, more chairs for guests in chapel, special prepared printed booklets for liturgies, etc., etc.). Everyone has assignments for particular functions at liturgy and has to prepare to fulfill them. Menus have been prepared, food bought, lists posted, and volunteers signed up for cooking. Tables are arranged, set and decorated. And then there is the music: hymns, tones, solos, preludes, etc. And, in the meantime, all the normal daily tasks of the house have to be carried out along with the daily horarium of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Under the expert guidance of our sub-prioress who plans, makes lists, and asks for volunteers, and with the experience of years in the life, we can all go about our business in these days in a most recollected way. This is the 'business' of our life in the Church and in the world. Prayer is the center of our life, the apostolic work in which we engage daily, both corporately and individually. Therefore, to do all of this is our JOY. As contemplative nuns, we have been called to be especially united to Jesus Christ. Therefore we fullly engage in walking with him through these dramatic last days, the culmination of the Paschal Mystery of his life, death and resurrection. In additon, in the long tradition of monastic hospitality, we prepare to welcome others to walk through these days with Jesus by participation in our liturgies. This too is our joy.

This evening we willl have a very celebratory Passover-type of meal - lamb, Jewish Passover foods, matzo and all. Then we will move silently into final preparations for the Mass of the Lord's Last Supper. At the end of Mass we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose. There will be candles, flowers, and the lasting smell of incense. Our door will be open until midnight for anyone who wishes to spend time with us in adoration.

Entering Holy Week

Holy Week: A Sacred Season

Many years ago, in a pre-Vatican II Brooklyn parish Church, I was introduced to fine details and inner workings of Holy Week Liturgy. I was an 8th grade public school girl enamored with her CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) teacher, Sr. Mary Corita, CSJ. That year Sister decided to invite public school students to join her parish school students and participate in the children's choir which would accompany all of the liturgies of Holy Week with the traditional Latin responses set to Gregorian Chant. I was in awe of her and in awe of the privileged invitation. It was hard work to learn all of the Latin pronunciation and the tones. But I still rmember them and treasure the little book we used with all my chilidishly written pencil margin notes reminding me to go up here and down there.

That experience was a catechetical vehicle for me - creating a sudden explosion of understanding for what seemed arcane and incomprehensible rituals. Why a Eucharistic procession at Holy Thursday Mass? Why the tradition of visiting Churches on Holy Thursday. Why no consecration at Good Friday Liturgy? Why the darkness on Easter eve and the difficult way of creating a fire? Why did the priest plunge that big candle into a huge contatiner of water at Easter Vigil Mass? AND, of course, what did all those Latin prayers mean? By my participation in that choir all the questions were answered and I was invited forever into the mystery and mystical nature of the Easter Triduum.

Today, in the intimacy of the monastic setting that invitation and level of participation is repeated. Many go to monasteries for just that experience. Here is our schedule for this week should you wish to join us.

Holy Thursday - 7pm Liturgy

Adoration at the Altar of Reposition until 12 midnight

Good Friday Liturgy - 3pm

Easter Vigil Mass - 8pm

Easter Sunday Morning Mass - 11am

We will be blessed by the presence of three Redemptorist priests during the Triduum: Fr. Thomas Deely, assisgned to Mt. St. Alphonsus Retreat Center here in Esopus, Fr. Ronald Bonneau and Fr. James Gillmore who share a special mission for Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ.

The door at our Chapel entrance will be open well in advance of each liturgy. We welcome all who may care to join us. Let us be united in contemplation of the Paschal Mystery

Giotto

Holy Thursday

Spotlight on

* Love as Service

* Communion in Living
Memory

* Sacramental Priesthood




The Drama of the Holy Triduum Begins

These are very solemn yet very busy days in any monastery. We began a time of recollection with Compline, Tuesday evening. But there is much to prepare especially in the way of liturgy and holy celebration. Our library has been transformed into a fitting place for reposition of the Blessed Sacrament and adoration this evening until midnight. Seating in our chapel has been expanded to accommodate Redemptorist students and other guests. A leg of lamb is roasting in the oven as traditional fare for our Passover Seder with Jesus in community.

One of our guests this evening is a non-Catholic friend who asked for some context and explanation of the liturgy of Holy Thursday. Perhaps others would be interested in my background material. May it enrich your experience of the Sacred Triduum.

As for Holy Thursday... I heard once that the liturgies of these three days were, at one time, one great long liturgy of the Paschal Mystery. Understanding each of the components (the rite for each day) is made easier by that image of a continuing drama being played out in a series of 'acts'. This is particularly true with the transition between tonight's liturgy of Holy Thursday and tomorrow's rite which is not a Eucharistic Liturgy, that is, a Mass with a consecration of the species. The Liturgy of Holy Thursday commemorates three things, not necessarily in this order: Jesus model of service and his last request that we loved one another; the institution of the Eucharist and, therefore, the institution of the sacramental priesthood. At times, this last - the priesthood - has been unduly emphasized in some places by a ritual renewal of vows for priests and religious. Liturgically that is really not in keeping with the most important messages of the liturgy. We try to emphasize the model of service in the foot washing and the institution narrative of the Eucharist. In every Catholic Church the Holy Thursday Liturgy will end with some kind of procession from the church to a place of reposition, a place where the consecrated hosts can be reserved with reverence. Since we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist at this liturgy, the Eucharistic procession and private adoration afterward are in order. This removal of the Eucharist leaves the church empty in readiness for the mood of Good Friday. The door of the chapel tabernacle stands open to remind us of emptiness. There are no linens on the altar, no candles, no flowers, etc.

The Good Friday ritual is really a prayer service consisting of three parts: a reading of the Passion Narrative from one of the Gospels; veneration of the Cross after it is ceremoniously brought into the church in procession and held up for all to see accompanied by the sung antiphon, "Behold, behold the wood of the Cross on which is hung your salvation. Come, let us adore Him." ; and last, a communion service in which the reserved Eucharist, consecrated at the Holy Thursday Mass is brought back into the church and is received by the people. After this the consecrated hosts are once again returned to a place of reposition, the altar is left without any linens and a cross of some kind remains in the church for private veneration. All of this sets the scene and the mood which is held throughout Holy Saturday. The empty tabernacle and bare altar, will speak of the death of Jesus and His three day descent to the realm of the dead. It will also speak of the fear, grief, and sense of abandonment in his followers.

The Easter Vigil on Saturday night will begin with the lighting of the new fire from which the Paschal Candle, symbol of the resurrected Christ, will be lit and carried in procession to the church. The Paschal Candle will be set in a prominent place and a great hymn of praise at what has happened in the new Passover of the Lord will be sung (the Exultet). From this ancient hymn comes the line which calls the first sin of Adam, "Oh, happy fault." In the light of the Resurrection even the sin of Adam is seen as in some way fortuitous, as part of the plan of Redemption. Then, in complete darkness, the congregation will hear the Exodus story (seven readings) which culminate in the sung "Gloria" when all the lights go on and all the bells are rung in announcement of the Lord's victory over death.