Triduum
A triduum (/ˈtrɪd.juəm, ˈtrɪdʒuəm/; pl. tridua) is a religious observance that lasts three days.[1]
Paschal Triduum
- Day 1: Holy Thursday evening → Good Friday evening
- Day 2: Good Friday evening → Holy Saturday evening
- Day 3: Holy Saturday evening → Easter Sunday evening
Major tridua
The best-known and most significant example today is the liturgical Paschal Triduum (the three days from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday). Other liturgical tridua celebrated in Western Christianity include the Rogation Days preceding Ascension Thursday, the feasts of Christmas and Pentecost together with the first two days of their octave, and Allhallowtide that lasts from Halloween to All Souls Day.
In Eastern Christianity (both Orthodox and Catholic) the analogues of festive tridua take the form of a major feasts followed by an associated Synaxis. The most publicly celebrated examples are the feast of Epiphany together with its eve and the following day dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and the Nativity feast with Christmas Eve and the Synaxis of Theotokos. In Spain, tridua are celebrated in honor of each sacred image, for instance, a brotherhood has a fixed date of tridua in honor of their Christ or Virgin.
Ecclesiastical approval has been granted for tridua in honour of the Trinity, the Eucharist and Saint Joseph. Tridua are also celebrated on the local level, often preceding the feasts of patron saints of parishes and localities. An example would be the Obando Fertility Rites in the Philippines, which commemorate Saint Paschal Baylon, Saint Clare of Assisi (in addition to her actual feast day), and Our Lady of Salambáo for three consecutive days in mid-May.
Other occasions
Many other tridua are celebrated on occasions such as when children are preparing for their First Communion; among pupils as well as seminarians at the beginning of the school year; and in religious communities for those who are preparing to renew their vows annually or every six months.
Historical tridua
A triduum was held in Limerick in 1867 in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, at which the associated icon was first displayed for public veneration in Ireland.[2]
In January of 1915, a number of German cities observed a triduum of meditation on World War I, an event which was influential on a young Martin Heidegger.[3]
James G. McGarry, a Catholic priest and professor, organized a 1977 triduum observance at Knock Shrine.[4]
See also
From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
Triduum — (Three days).
A time frequently chosen for prayer or for other devout practices, whether by individuals in private, or in public by congregations or special organizations in parishes, in religious communities, seminaries, or schools. The form of prayer or devotion depends upon the occasion or purpose of the triduum. The three days usually precede some feast, and the feast then determines the choice of the pious execises. In liturgical usage there is a triduum of ceremonies and prayers in Holy Week; the Rogation Days (q.v.); the three days of litanies prior to the feast of the Ascension, and the feasts of Easter and Pentecost, with the first two days of their octaves. There is ecclesiastical authorization for a triduum in honour of the Holy Trinity, of the Holy Eucharist, and of St. Joseph. The first of these, instituted Pius IX, 8 August, 1847, may be made at any time of the year in public or private, and partial or plenary indulgences are attached to it on the usual conditions. The second, also indulgenced, was instituted by Pius X, 10 April, 1907, for the purpose of promoting frequent Communion. The time for it is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after the feast of Corpus Christi, though the bishops may designate any other more convenient time of the year. Each day there should be a sermon on the Holy Eucharist and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and on Sunday, there should be besides a sermon on the Gospel and on the Holy Eucharist, at the parochial Mass. This triduum is specially for cathedral churches, though the bishops may also require other churches to have it. The prayer, "O Most Sweet Jesus" (Dulcissime Jesu), as given in the "Raccolta", is appointed for reading during Benediction. The triduum in honor of St. Joseph, prior to his feast on 19 March, was recommended by Leo XIII in the Encyclical "Quamprimum pluries" (15 August, 1889), with the prayer, "To thee, O blessed Joseph." The most frequent occasions for a triduum are: when children are in preparation for their first Communion; among pupils in school at the beginning of the scholastic year; among seminarians at the same time; and in religious communities for those who are to renew their vows yearly or every six months. The exercises of these triduums are mainly meditations or instructions disposing the hearers to a devout reception of the sacraments of penance and of Holy Communion and to betterment of life.
ST. JOHN, The Raccolta (6th ed., London, 1912); BERINGER, Die Ablasse, ihr Wesen u. Gebrauch (Paderborn, 1900, tr., Fr., Paris, 1905).
References
- Back to citation Wynne, John (1912). "Triduum". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York.
- Back to citation Murphy, T. A. (1923). "The Arch-Confraternity of the Holy Family of Limerick". The Irish Monthly. 51 (599): 209–216. ISSN 2009-2113. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- Back to citation Heidegger, Martin (1 July 2009). "Messkirch's Triduum: A Three-Day Meditation on the War". New Yearbook for Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy. 9: 49–54. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- Back to citation Duffy, Daniel (1977). "Triduum at Knock: 6-8 Sept. 1977: A Response to the Apostolic Exhortation 'Marialis Cultus'". The Furrow. 28 (11): 710–714. ISSN 0016-3120. Retrieved 21 January 2024.