The Chrism Mass is typically celebrated on Holy Thursday before the Triduum. The bishop of a diocese blesses the holy oils used in the sacraments of the church. The oils are taken to the parish churches of the diocese where they are enthroned and used for various sacraments:
Holy oils are tangible signs of God’s grace and presence in the lives of believers. They accompanyi us in significant moments of our faith journey, from initiation into the Church to healing and preparation for eternal life 6.
We are entering the most sacred period of our church’s year, the Easter Triduum, a time all are invited to participate in the mysteries of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. The three-day observance begins on the evening of Holy Thursday and reaches its high point on Easter Sunday, concluding with evening prayer..
The Triduum includes:
Holy Thursday, when the church commemorates the Last Supper, during which Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the sacrament of his Body and Blood. On Holy Thursday morning, before the Triduum, the Chrism Mass also takes place, when sacramental oils are blessed for use in the churches sacramental life.
On Good Friday, the church listens to the account of the Lord’s Passion and venerates the wood of the Cross.
Holy Saturday begins with silence and prayer in anticipation of the Easter Vigil is a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the Easter Vigil the saving power of the Paschal Mystery is communicated through baptism.
In summary, the Triduum is a three-day period encompassing Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, culminating in the celebration of Easter Sunday. It is a time to remember the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central events of the Christian faith.
Matthew’s gospel today, “Spy Wednesday”, describes the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of his disciples. He approaches the chief priests offering to betray Jesus and is given thirty pieces of silver. Then he joins the other disciples at the supper.
Jesus announces “One of you will betray me.” “Surely it is not I?” Judas says. “You have said so,” Jesus answers.
We wonder what Judas’ motives were and how God ultimately judged him. He was the first who “left Jesus, but let’s not forget there were others too.
Our first reading from the Book of Isaiah focuses on the Servant of God, Jesus, who does not turn away from his work of forgiveness, in spite of those who beat him. Though “an outcast to his brothers and a stranger to his mother’s sons” he does not draw back from the work of mercy.
“Lord, in your great love answer me,” His prayer is “for the poor and his own in bonds.” Is his prayer for Judas?
When Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples must have questioned him about Judas as well as their own failure to be loyal to him. He answered them by going through Moses and all the prophets. I think the readings we have for our Easter Vigil is a summary of what he told them.
The Book of Genesis, the first reading of the Vigil, sees God’s original plan for humanity and all creation. The prophets speak on an outpouring a cleansing water refreshing a fallen world. The Word made flesh came to restore and recreate the world. God reaches out to all in the mystery of his death and resurrection.
Today is a day to see us all, Judas, the disciples of Jesus, and ourselves offered the mercy of God.
The gospels tell us little about the twelve disciples of Jesus. Peter is the best known; Jesus gave him a special role and also lived in his house in Capernaum.
Then, there’s Judas. Matthew’s gospel has more information about him than any other New Testament source and so we read his gospel on “Spy Wednesday,” the day in Holy Week recalling Judas’ offer to hand Jesus over for thirty pieces of silver.(Matthew 26,14-25)
“Surely it is not I?” the disciples say one after the other when Jesus announces someone will betray him. And we say so too, as we watch Judas being pointed out. With Peter also we say we will not deny him. But the readings for these days caution us that there’s a communion of sinners as well as a communion of saints.
We are never far from the disciples who once sat at table with Jesus. We’re also sinful. We come as sinners to the Easter triduum, which begins Holy Thursday evening and ends on Easter Sunday. We hope for the mercy Jesus gave to those who left him the night before he died.
“We who wish to find the All, who is God, must cast ourselves into nothingness. God is “I AM; we are they who are not, for dig as deeply as we can, we will find nothing, nothing. And we who are sinners are worse than nothing.
“God, out of nothing created the visible and invisible world. The infinite Good, by drawing good from evil through justifying sinners, performs a greater work of omnipotence than if he were to create a thousand worlds more vast and beautiful than this one. For in justifying sinners, he draws them from sin, an abyss darker and deeper than nothingness itself.” (St. Paul of the Cross, Letter 248 )
O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake
to the yoke of the Cross,
so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy,
grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.
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