The Sacred Triduum: Service, Sacrifice, Salvation (Part I)

For those of the various Christian faiths, tonight marks the beginning of the most important three day period.

Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are the reason there is a Christian religion. Sure, Christmas may be the best known and most liked and there most certainly wouldn’t have been much “Christ” in Christianity without it (or at least not Christ of the Jesus variety), but without the Sacred Triduum, there would be no true foundation for the faith.

The story–be it myth or historical fact–that makes up the progression of these days is one of the best known and most re-told tales ever. Even if you’re not Christian, you know parts of it. So deeply does it touch on important spiritual truths that it has persisted and wound its way deeply into Western culture as a whole. It echoed many traditions and tales that came before it, but wrapped many of them up in a much more succinct and poignant narrative than any that came before.

These basic and important spiritual points are Service, Sacrifice, and Salvation.

All three are integral to life, so it should come as no surprise that this story coincides with the Jewish Passover celebration and the turning of the seasons from winter to spring.

If you’re not familiar with the story of the final days of Jesus, you can read multiple translations of the Bible verses here: Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13.