VATICAN - The Easter Triduum was the subject of the Pope's teaching at his General Audience

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On March 19 Pope Benedict focussed his weekly teaching on the meaning of the Easter Triduum, the culmination of the Lenten journey. These three days are called ‘holy’ because “they enable us to relive the central event of our Redemption”, projecting us, said the Holy Father, “in the same atmosphere which Jesus lived at that time in Jerusalem ”.
The Pope began his catechesis reflecting on Holy Thursday recalling the new commandment which Jesus gave his disciples on that night, the "mandatum novum", the “commandment of fraternal love”. In the morning of the same day the ‘Chrism Mass' is celebrated with the blessing of the sacred oils to be used for the Sacraments. Each community, gathered around its respective Bishop “strengthens its unity and fidelity to Christ, the One Eternal High Priest”. The Liturgy in the evening recalls the Lord's Supper, when, as the Pope recalled, “Christ gave himself to us as food of salvation, medicine of immortality” and he instituted the Eucharist, “source and summit of Christian life ”. “In this Sacrament of salvation- Pope Benedict XVI continued - the Lord offered and achieved for those who believe in Him the most intimate union possible between our life and his life ”. The Holy Father recalled the master's humble act of ‘washing the feet of his disciples: “by washing their feet he concretely announces the primacy of love, love which becomes service, even to the gift of self, anticipating in this way the supreme sacrifice of his life which will be consumed the day afterwards on Calvary”.
Turning to Good Friday, the memory of Christ's passion, crucifixion and death, the Pontiff spoke of how the whole Christian assembly reflects on “the great mystery of evil and sin which weighs on humanity”, and retraces with “moving liturgical actions”, Christ's sufferings which expiate sin. On this day the community prays for the needs of the Church and the world, adores the Cross and receives Holy Communion, the species preserved after the ‘Coena Domini’ Mass. Benedict XVI then recalled the many pious devotions which have enriched Christian tradition, processions and sacred plays, especially the ‘Via Crucis’, or Way of the Cross “which aims to imprint ever more deeply on the souls of the faithful, sentiments of true participation in the redeeming sacrifice of Christ”. The Pope spoke about shrines called ‘Calvaria’, reached with a steep climb, which call to mind the painful way of the Passion enabling the faithful to “share in the Lord's ascent to the Mount of the Cross, the Mount of Love to the very end”.
The Holy Father then meditated on Holy Saturday, the day when believers “persevere with Mary in expectant prayer and meditation”. On this day of silence the faithful are encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, “an indispensable means of purifying the heart and preparing to celebrate Easter more fruitfully”. During the night the Church celebrates “the most important Sunday in history”, the ‘Easter Vigil’: “in the dark of night we light the new fire of the Easter Candle, symbol of the glorious Christ who rises from the dead. Christ, the light of humanity disperses the shadows from hearts and minds and illuminates every person who comes into the world ”. Dwelling on the Light brought by the Resurrection of Jesus during the “splendid Easter night ”, Benedict XVI observed how, miraculously, “the joy, light and peace of Christ flow into the life of the faithful, into every community, reaching every point in space and time”.
The Holy Father encouraged the faithful gathered in these special moments to orient their lives more decisively “to a more generous and convinced docility with the plans of the heavenly Father”. These days, in fact, “are an opportunity to become more aware of the meaning and value of our Christian calling which flows from the Easter Mystery and to concretise it as faithful disciples of Christ under every circumstance, as He did, even to the generous offering of our life”. To recall the Resurrection of Christ is also, the Pope continued, “to live in profound and shared adhesion to the today of history, convinced that what we celebrate is a living and ever new reality” and an evident sign that “love, which is stronger than hatred, has won and we must associated ourselves with this triumph of love. We must therefore make a new start from Christ and work in communion with Him for a world built on peace, justice and love”. (Agenzia Fides 19/3/2008 - righe 51, parole 715)