Holy Thursday – Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper 2019

On this Holy Thursday, Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:23-26) challenges us to think about and do something in remembrance of God’s Only Son. With the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, billions of Christians all over the world begin their Triduum journey. The Easter Triduum is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. From this Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday, the Triduum is a unity. The Church invites us throughout its various moments to celebrate Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection with prayers, hymns, and spiritual exercises.

Moreover, the gospel of John (13: 1-15), the book of Exodus and the psalmist encourage us to serve one another and to do something in remembrance of all the blessings that God has showered upon us in ages past and to this very day. If, and only if, we pay attention to the liturgy, we will be challenged to see nothing but Jesus and Him crucified during this Triduum to redeem us all. Are we listening? Are we ready to accompany Jesus and receive God’s saving grace revealed in His Paschal Mystery?

Amid life’s challenges, we are blessed. Unlike billions of persecuted Christians, we are blessed with opportunities to freely celebrate the Triduum peacefully and prayerfully with family, with friends, with companions. The Latin root of the word “companion” (cum: with; panem: bread) reveals that a companion is one with whom we break and share bread. We are blessed on this most Holy Thursday to partake of “the living bread that came down from heaven,” spiritual food for companions on a Triduum journey. This Triduum celebration is also a metaphor for our faith journey of ongoing conversion to a more Christ-centered lifestyle.