To Christians everywhere, Holy Week seems to be a time when the Church holds her breath. It is the final stretch of the waiting and preparation period of Lent. Most of the emphasis of Holy Week is placed on Good Friday, as it should be, for it is the day we were redeemed through the Blood of our God. However, it is beneficial to remember the significance of the other days of the Triduum, Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday.  Holy Thursday is very significant because it contains the institution of two Sacrament which are integral to Catholicism. The first one is obvious: The Institution of the Eucharist. Jesus shares His Body and Blood with the Apostles and tells them to do the same. The fact that Jesus tells the Apostles to, “Do this in memory of me,” (Luke 22:19) is a sign that the First Ordinations to the Priesthood also takes place. Christ, the Great High Priest, is conferring part of His authority on those He has called. He gives us marvelous gifts on Holy Thursday, and this is a beautiful thing to meditate on during the Holy Thursday Mass. 

Holy Saturday is also a day of institution. Formerly called Grand Saturday, it is a day to be recognized with both joy and sorrow. Sorrow that Christ is dead, and we are responsible, and joy in knowing that He will rise again. As we move ever closer to Easter, the Resurrection light glows in every Catholic church at the Easter Vigil. It is a day of institution because it is the day when the Catechumens receive the light of Christ (symbolically represented by the fires and lights) through the Sacraments of Initiation. Holy Saturday is the final day of sorrow before Easter, and it reminds us to rejoice in the new life of Christ present through the Resurrection, and the new life of our newly baptized brothers and sister at the Easter Vigil. 

Holy Week is a beautiful time where Christians receive so many priceless gifts. Just within the confines of the Triduum, we received the Catholic Priesthood, the Eucharist, and were redeemed, saved, and loved through the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We should approach these days with solemnity and repentance. The time for rejoicing however, is very near indeed.