Apr 21, 2011 - Holy Thursday - Feast of the Lord's Supper - Remembering the Last Suppers of our Lives

Readings - http://www.usccb.org/nab/042111a.shtml

Today we begin the celebration of the Triduum, the highest days of our Liturgical Year, and if you’re at all like us here at the office at Annunciata, it may feel that these celebrations have somehow "snuck-up on us" this year. (We were talking about this at the Rectory this year). Perhaps it’s because on one hand, Lent came so late this year. Perhaps it’s because it’s been unseasonably cold and rainy during this past week and so it just doesn’t feel like Easter should be upon us. BUT HERE IT IS.

And perhaps this is good, because it is a reminder that Life happens to us. It has its own pace and we aren’t completely in control of it. Sometimes we’re ready to celebrate something or something to happen. Sometimes we don’t really appreciate that it is coming until it is upon us.

On Holy Thursday, this the first night of the Triduum, we remember Jesus’ Last Supper. And it should be noted that the Passover in which context the Last Supper was celebrated, was instituted as a _happy occasion_, a celebration of _something new_ and _something good_ about to take place ... the imminent freedom of the People of Israel from slavery.

Yet, this celebration of a happy event, gets a new twist in Jesus using the occasion to celebrate his Last Supper. To be sure, he institutes a reminder for us, the Eucharist, which we use to remember this evening every Sunday, indeed every day, that we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. However, there is an obvious sadness to this feast that we commemorate on this evening, Holy Thursday.

Yet this certainly becomes part of our experience as we pass through life – and we are called to remember on this day the various "Last Suppers" that we’ve had in our own lives with family and friends, when perhaps we sensed or knew it was a "Last" of some sort (like Jesus did on this evening) or when perhaps we did not really know it was going to be a "Last" of some sort (like the Apostles). Many times we celebrate these and Christmas holidays not appreciating that this was going to be the last time we were going to celebrate it with particular people important to our lives. Sometimes we "kind of sense this" and other times, we don’t really have a clue" until we are "looking back."

It is this image of the various "last suppers" of our lives that would be valuable to take from the Liturgy this evening, and then to appreciate the people around us, because we do not know if next year they (or we) may be around ...

*****

Now this is only the First Night of the Triduum. Tommorrow, we will be celebrating Good Friday with the Liturgy of the Passion and Death of our Lord. On Saturday night and Sunday we will be celebrating Christ’s resurrection.

So this night does not remain in isolation.

However, let us though stay in this night tonight and appreciate the "lasts" in our lives, knowing that Christ is with us in those moments and always leading us then toward "something new."

Let us have a blessed Holy Thursday and a Blessed Triduum this year ...