The Easter Triduum makes us relive the central event of our salvation. These are the days of more intense prayer and meditation as we reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ (St. John Paul II).  Here, the Lenten Season ends and then the whole church glow once more with the Resurrection of Christ.

April is a month when the schools and universities are mostly on breaks, especially during the Holy Week. Thus, it was a perfect time to invite youth and adults to spend the Holy Week in prayer during the Spiritual Exercises, a retreat preached according to the time-tested method of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Around 20 youth from Manila and Lipa came to the retreat which also gave them the possibility to participate in the Easter Triduum organized by the Institute of the Incarnate Word House of Formation in Lipa.

Holy Thursday, we contemplate Christ who in the Upper Room, on the eve of his Passion, made a gift of himself to the Church, instituted the ministerial priesthood and left to his disciples the new commandment, the commandment of love. Thus he wished to remain with us in the sacrament of the Eucharist, making himself the food of our salvation.

On Good Friday, we revisit the tragic chain of events of the Passion of our Redeemer leading to his crucifixion on Golgotha. The Adoration of the Cross enables us to understand more acutely the infinite mercy of God. By willingly experiencing that immense sorrow, the Only-Begotten Son of God became the definitive proclamation of salvation for humanity. The way of the Cross is difficult indeed!

During the Easter Vigil, singing the “Gloria” the splendour of our destiny is revealed:  to forge a new humanity, redeemed by Christ who died and rose for us.