The Easter Triduum began with the Mass of Maundy Thursday, where we remembered Jesus giving us the gift of the Eucharist, and sharing with us his love in washing his disciples’ feet. Our liturgy began with the reception of Holy Oils blessed by Bishop Philip at the Chrism Mass earlier in the week.

Fr David preached about the three aspects of the Liturgy: Jesus giving us the priesthood, the Institution of the Eucharist and the commandment to love, reminding us that in offering us his love, Jesus asks us to be gracious in receiving that love, and diligent in sharing that love with the people around us.

At the end of the Mass, a Watch was kept until Midnight at the Altar of Repose, representing the Garden of Gethsemane. It was wonderful to see so many people packed into the Lady Chapel for this act of witness at the beginning of the Watch, as together we watched and waited with Jesus.

On Good Friday, following the Ecumenical Walk up the Coppice, we gathered for the celebration of the Passion of the Lord. Fr Jordan presided as we knelt in silence before the bare altar, Fr Jordan lying prostrate as a sign of the church’s abasement before the reality of the crucifixion. We then heard the Passion according to John, and Fr David preached on the love of God which sends his Son to die on the cross in order to reveal the promises of the kingdom to us his people.

We then prayed for the church and the world in the Solemn Intercessions, before being invited to come to Venerate the Wood of the Cross as a sign of our acceptance of his love. The service concluded with receiving Holy Communion reserved from Maundy Thursday, before going in silence to watch and wait for the Easter Vigil.

In the darkness of Saturday evening, we gathered to light the New Fire of Easter at St Andrew’s, and to light our Paschal Candle which will stand in church as a sign of the risen Christ throughout the Easter season. We then heard the story of our salvation through the readings from the Old Testament, gathered around the lectern, before singing Gloria and hearing our Gospel reading of the Resurrection. Fr David then preached to us about the joy of resurrection and our invitation to celebrate this supreme truth by sharing it with everyone we meet.

After this we gathered around the font, and renewed our baptismal promises, before being sprinkled with the blessed water as a sign and seal of that renewal, before moving to the altar for our first celebration of the mass of Easter, glorying in the joy of resurrection life. At the end of the Vigil we were invited to continue the celebration over a glass of something with some cheese and biscuits and cake!

The celebrations continued on Sunday morning as we celebrated Easter masses, with the added rite of receiving the Easter Candle at St Mary Magdalen’s, and the renewal of our baptismal promises in both churches. Both services gave us an opportunity to continue the celebrations with Buck’s Fizz at St Andrew’s and something celebratory to eat at St Mary Magdalen’s.