Holy Thursday
Technically speaking, Lent is over, giving way to the Triduum of Holy Week. Tonight's Mass commemorated the Last Supper at which Christ gave the Church both the Eucharist and the priesthood. The liturgy never really ends, per se, until the conclusion of the Easter vigil Saturday night. Tonight's Mass ended in complete silence and begins the solemn, somber mood that will be the order of the day tomorrow for the Good Friday service, which is not a Mass - the bread and wine are not consecrated as the Body and Blood of Christ. Friday is a day of fasting (as was Ash Wednesday), and churches will be largely devoid of flowers and decorations - many parishes even cover statues in purple cloth. Saturday evening is the big event of the liturgical calendar - the Easter Vigil is often a three-hour affair that includes Baptism, first Communion, and Confirmation for those entering the Church. The soberness of the three days is broken first by the procession of the lighted Easter candle into the darkened Church and ultimately shattered by the joyful singing of the Gloria (Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth), the ringing of bells for the first time since Thursday, and the dramatic flip of the light switch to bring up the lights. It's all quite stirring.
Anyhow, throughout all this, there are innumerable customs and traditions and liturgical quirks. Friday, for example, plays host to the "Nine-Churches Walk" in which groups assemble to walk to nine different churches in town. I go with a large group from Jesuit High School, and we typically pray the Stations of the Cross along the way. It's a great chance to see some of the great old churches hidden away in Uptown New Orleans. Another tidbit is that tonight the archbishop washed the feet of 12 people (men and women, if you're hip to the controversy) just as Christ washed the feet of the 12 apostles. The Gospel recounts Christ mandating that the Apostles do likewise, hence today is also called Maundy (from "mandatum") Thursday. I had a few other things in mind, but I'm a little woozy with fatigue - the point is that it's really quite remarkable how all three days fit together both liturgically and spiritually. Easter is much more rewarding when approached after fully experiencing the Triduum and walking with Christ, by means of the liturgies of His Church, through his Passion.
And while I'm at it, here's Pope Benedict's Homily from Holy Thursday, thanks to the great Catholic blog Whispers in The Loggia.
Anyhow, throughout all this, there are innumerable customs and traditions and liturgical quirks. Friday, for example, plays host to the "Nine-Churches Walk" in which groups assemble to walk to nine different churches in town. I go with a large group from Jesuit High School, and we typically pray the Stations of the Cross along the way. It's a great chance to see some of the great old churches hidden away in Uptown New Orleans. Another tidbit is that tonight the archbishop washed the feet of 12 people (men and women, if you're hip to the controversy) just as Christ washed the feet of the 12 apostles. The Gospel recounts Christ mandating that the Apostles do likewise, hence today is also called Maundy (from "mandatum") Thursday. I had a few other things in mind, but I'm a little woozy with fatigue - the point is that it's really quite remarkable how all three days fit together both liturgically and spiritually. Easter is much more rewarding when approached after fully experiencing the Triduum and walking with Christ, by means of the liturgies of His Church, through his Passion.
And while I'm at it, here's Pope Benedict's Homily from Holy Thursday, thanks to the great Catholic blog Whispers in The Loggia.