What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Change your life

    [This post is reposted from a previous year. No-one who has ever kept the triduum with me has ever told me that what I promised fell short of their experience].

    Every year I make a promise to people. I say that if they keep the triduum with me at St Mary’s then it will change their life and change their faith.

    The Triduum is the three days from Maundy Thursday to Easter Day. Although the various services take place over several days, it is really one big feast, which is what makes it so extraordinary when you keep it in one place and experience the whole thing. It really is life changing stuff.

    I blogged a bit about it [one] year, and it might be worth pointing people to those blog posts:

    Maundy Thursday
    Veneration of the Cross
    Three Hour Devotions
    Good Friday Evening
    Holy Saturday – all hands on deck!
    The Vigil

    I’d say you’d kept the Triduum with me if you come to the Maundy Thursday evening service, two of the three services on Good Friday (try for the three hours if you can), the clean and polish on Saturday and the early fire Vigil and the main Festival Mass on Sunday.

    It really is life-changing if you do it all and there are people around who will testify to just that.

4 responses to “How to Keep Holy Week”

  1. Christine McIntosh Avatar
    Christine McIntosh

    I have never been able to attend any part of the Triduum services in another church. Some day …

    Reply
  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I had really hoped to be able to push for/be part of an over-night Vigil this year, but my family commitments currently make that hard (my grandson needs a more or less awake Nana on Easter Day) but I am sure the time will come. It would be a brilliant thing to do.

    Reply
    1. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
      Rosemary Hannah

      And to really tell the bible – not just readings but proper stories, to bring the whole thing to life. Not extracts, giving one no time to get to grips with the the content, but a real chance to see it as – well to be honest, very largely as the Deuteronomistical historians wanted one to see it.

      Reply
  3. Allan Ronald Avatar
    Allan Ronald

    It was always the Crux Fidelis setting by John IV of Portugal that moved me most when I was part of the congregation at the London Oratory. And considering how potent the rest of the liturgy was, that is saying a lot.

    Reply

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