From Darkness to Light

Next Sunday, we will celebrate Palm Sunday, the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, the beginning of His Passion. When we hear the word passion, we often think of a couple in the throes of uncontrollable love. Beyond that, we say that someone with a deep love for reading or art has a passion for books or Rembrandt. Why do we use that word to describe the suffering of Jesus? The word is derived from an old Latin word, passio, which means suffering, submission. In the Garden of Gethsemane, when praying to God, Jesus’ submission is evident when he says to His Father, “Your will be done.”

Many Catholics go directly from waving palm branches to Easter Sunday. They miss the power of the events which mark our Lord’s passion and death by focusing only on His Resurrection. But experiencing the darkness in between is part of the light and joy of Easter. On the Wednesday of Holy Week, we celebrate Tenebrae (“Ten-ah-bray). Tenebrae is Latin for darkness or shadows and serves as an introduction to the Triduum. As psalms are sung and readings are proclaimed, the lights of the church are slowly extinguished until we are plunged into darkness. In this way, we enter into the passion of Christ.

On Holy Thursday we begin the Triduum, the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper and remember that Jesus humbled himself to wash the feet of His disciples, a lesson about the true meaning of servant-leadership.

On Good Friday, there is no Mass anywhere in the world. The cross is a somber symbol of our salvation, and we gather to venerate it. We share Eucharist consecrated the night before as we recall the sacrifice of Jesus who took our sins upon Himself and was put to death. We leave in silence, and spend the day in prayer and fasting.

The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday begins after sundown. It is the most important Mass of the liturgical year, the high point of the Triduum. The Exsultet, a prayer of thanksgiving and praise, is chanted or sung as the paschal candle is brought forth in procession. With a rich display of symbols, rites, and readings, salvation history unfolds. Slowly, the darkness of Tenebrae dissipates as the Gospel proclamation of the Resurrection illuminates the space. Those who have been forming their faith in the R.C.I.A. process are fully initiated into the Catholic Church. Having come through the darkness of sin and death, we rejoice together in the Light of Christ and the hope of eternal life.