Dear Friends,
One of the best-known Easter hymns is The strife is o’er, the battle done (Hymn 208 in Hymnal 1982). The third stanza of the hymn begins with these words, “The three sad days are quickly sped….” The three days the hymn refers to are called the “Triduum:” Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, which includes Easter Eve, when the church has traditionally gathered after sunset for the Great Vigil of Easter.
But the three sad days aren’t quickly sped quite yet. They are just beginning.
Maundy Thursday observances begin this evening. At 5:30 p.m. in St. Martin’s Chapel, we’ll gather for a liturgy that’s been specially planned with children and youth in mind. That, of course, does not mean anyone is excluded. Quite the contrary, the service is for the whole “family of God.”
Following the 5:30 service, there’ll be an Agape Meal in Tucker Hall. Agape (pronounced uh-GAH-pay) is the New Testament word for “self-giving love.” So, an “Agape Meal” is a Christian fellowship meal–a love feast–that emphasizes community, sharing, and fellowship, and recalls the meals Jesus shared with his disciples. Because the church is still fasting, such meals are usually simple and often meatless. Please join us tonight starting at 6:30 pm.
Following the meal, at 7:30 p.m. in the Nave, we’ll gather for the Maundy Thursday Liturgy with Foot-Washing and Stripping of the Altar. This service will be livestreamed.
The next day, Good Friday, there are three different services being offered to observe this most solemn day of the Christian Year. From noon to 3 p.m., clergy from our neighboring churches will gather to preach, and St. Paul’s Senior Choir will present Théodore Dubois’s cantata, The Seven Last Words of Christ. Evening services of Good Friday include a family service at 5:30 p.m. in St. Martin’s Chapel and the Good Friday Liturgy with Communion from the Reserved Sacrament in the Nave at 7:30 p.m. Both the three-hour service and the 7:30 p.m. services will be livestreamed.
We begin Holy Saturday with a service at 10 a.m. in the Columbarium (located at the rear of St. Martin’s Chapel). New this year is an Easter Vigil at 5:30 p.m. that’s been developed with younger parishioners in mind. The service will begin on the Terrace and move into St. Martin’s Chapel. For those who wish to worship at a more formal Easter Vigil service, Trinity Cathedral is offering such a service at 8 p.m. Bishop Anne will confirm two St. Paul’s parishioners then.
By now you may be wondering if, in fact, the three days will be quickly sped. Perhaps not. The three days were certainly not quickly sped for Jesus’ disciples. Their beloved friend had been cruelly put to death, and their hopes and dreams of a coming kin-dom had been crushed. It wasn’t until Easter morning that it began to dawn on them that Jesus had been raised from the dead. And for some of them, it took a bit of convincing!
Even though you and I know that the story has a happy ending, I hope we will intentionally journey through the next three days rather than hurry to the end. If we do, I promise that our celebrations will be even more joyous when we gather for services on Easter Day at 7:30 a.m. (note the earlier time), 9 a.m. (with Holy Baptism), and 11:15 a.m. Equally joyous, albeit in a different way, will be the Easter Egg Hunt & Children’s Carillon Concert on the Fairmount lawn (or inclement weather site) between the 9 and 11:15 services.
I look forward to observing the Holy Triduum with you – starting this evening!
Blessings,
Stephen Applegate