Lectio Divina for the Paschal Triduum
We begin our prayer:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty ever-living God,
who have restored us to life
by the blessed Death and Resurrection of your Christ, preserve in us the work of your mercy, that, by partaking of this mystery,
we may have a life unceasingly devoted to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Reading (Lectio)
Read the following Scripture two or three times.
John 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured
water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
Meditation (Meditatio)
After the reading, take some time to reflect in silence on one or more of the following questions:
- What word or words in this passage caught your attention?
- What in this passage comforted you?
- What in this passage challenged you?
If practicing lectio divina as a family or in a group, after the reflection time, invite the participants to share their responses.
Prayer (Oratio): Read: the Scripture passage one more time. Bring to the Lord the praise, petition, or thanksgiving that the Word inspires in you.
Contemplation (Contemplatio) Read: Scriptures again, followed by this
reflection: What conversion of mind, heart, and life is the Lord asking of me?
He had come from God and was returning to God.
Where have I come from? Where am I going?
What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later. What parts of my faith do I struggle to understand? How can I grow in my understanding of God and his Church?
I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. What acts of service is God calling me to? How do I share my faith in Jesus through my actions?
After a period of silent reflection and/or discussion, then recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following:
Closing Prayer:
How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD .
Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD .
My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people.
From Psalm 116
Living the Word This Week
How can I make my life a gift for others in charity?
Prayerfully consider ways that you can serve your brothers and sisters, especially the poor and marginalized.
Credit Source Excerpts from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
Paschal Triduum
Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday
The Paschal Triduum or Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, or the Three Days, is the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. It is a moveable observance recalling the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the canonical Gospels.