THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, 2010
March 7, 2010
Lk 13, 1-9

FIRST SERIES - THE SACRED TRIDUUM

A ‘triduum’ is a three-day period (the word comes from Latin – tres dies). The Christian ‘Sacred Triduum’ begins on Holy Thursday evening and ends on Easter Sunday.  The Christian Triduum is a three-day period in which Christians celebrate what Easter means to them.  It is the center of gravity of the liturgical year.  These three days are three days of mystery.  Not trivial pursuit!

Devotions in honor of the Passion of the Lord

Among the many ascetical works of St. Alphonsus Liguori there is a little gem entitled, The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ.  This work is reflective of the fruits of the many meditations of St. Alphonsus on the Passion of the Lord.  St. Alphonus believed that "all of the saints learned the art of loving God" from the study of the passion and death of Jesus.  Or, to put it in yet another way, "who could love any other object besides Jesus when they see him dying in the midst of so many sufferings and insults in order to captivate our love?

Lent Meditation

Saint Alphonsus published the meditations that follow in 1767. They are part of a much longer work entitled The Way of Salvation and of Perfection.   Although the meditations can be enjoyed and appreciated as they are presented, it was Saint Alphonsus' intention that they be used within the context of meditation. For many people the idea of meditation can be threatening, but it does not have to be. For example, the method of meditation proposed by Saint Alphonsus is easily learned and practiced. You do not need to be an expert at praying to profit from this kind of meditative practice. All that is required is a willingness to communicate with the Lord.

 The proposed method of meditation consists of three parts: preparation, consideration, and conclusion.