The Timeless Moment/Pascha Triduum

The Oxford Anglican, Orthodox and Roman Churches, truly shine when it comes to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. The century old traditions which re-enact the events of this week, nurturing on all levels, are profound. For converts, it's like the earthly version of being invited to the "wedding feast of the lamb," for the first time.

St. Augustine's word's, after his own conversion, summarized my own experience perfectly, "Too late have I loved Thee, O, Ancient Beauty." The intellectual and mystical profundity, the ancient liturgical beauty on both a sense and spiritual level, the nobility and grandure inherent in music and chant, is all so thoroughly edifying to the human spirit.

The Protestant Churches just don't seem to have the theological grasp of "time" so ubiquitous in the Catholic liturgical understanding. Man is made in the "image of God." Because of this sacred imprint embedded at the core of his being, man is not only capable of participating in the "timeless moment," it is a necessity for him, that he may reach his destiny as a child of God.

This is all a mystic does in the contemplative experience...he apprehends and is apprehended by, that which is outside of time, and, in his own soul, closer to him than he is to himself, the Triune God. Our relationship with God is not confined by the constituent elements of our mortal existence, ie "time," because that very Covenant which Our Lord declared on Maunday Thursday, by its nature, is timeless. Thus, as the Catholic Church has always understood, we are not only able, but literally "commanded," (coming from the Latin 'mandate') to participate in the timeless moment, so to speak.

Yes, His sacrifice on the cross took place in one historical week, but, because it is timeless, it is ever-present, meaning it is there for every generation, every soul to participate in.

From Ash Wednesday through Holy Week and in every Eucharist celebrated every moment of every day in the created milieu of time, Christ, His one holy and sufficient sacrifice, is present. for us to enter {as though} it was happening for the first time!

It is a mystery, but a mystery, though not fully penetrable, is still capable of being entered into...and that's what God's covenant of love with us, is all about; freely entering into the convenant relationship, the Bride and the Bridegroom.

G. K. Chesterton wrote a poem, after his conversion, which gives us a flavor of the covenant between the soul and God.

The Convert

"After one moment when I bowed my head,
And the whole world turned over and came upright,
And I came out where the old road shone white
I walked the ways and heard what all men said
Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves, unshed,
Being not unlovable, but strange and light;
Old riddles and new creeds. not in despite
But softly, as men smile about the dead.

The sages have a hundred maps to give,
That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,
They rattle reason out through many a sieve,
That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:
And all these things are less than dust to me
Because my name is Lazarus and I live."

Here is an example of Chesterton's mystical participation in the "timeless."


(The Russian Orthodox have a wonderful tradition on Easter Sunday. They, meaning as many from the congregation as possible, as a group, visit all the graves of loved ones; a red egg, (it's a special dye that is deep dark red,) symbolizing the resurrection, and a candle is placed on each grave and all sing the Pascha prayers and Alleluia. Then, it's home to a huge feast. But, those who have gone before us are remembered first. Like everything in the Orthodox Church it's highly mystical.)

Christ is risen...Alleluia. "He has trampled down death, by death."