Taller
de Rublev, Jesús lava los pies a sus discípulos (1425-1427),
tempera sobre Madera,
Catedral de la Trinidad (Moscú)
...
This
evening we gather together to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, a
celebration alike in many ways to any celebration of the Mass yet different. Why
is this night different from all other nights? Why is our music becoming more
solemn and simple as the Mass progresses? Why is the presider going to wash the
feet of twelve men and women? Why will there be no blessing and dismissal at
the end of Mass? Why will we leave this church in procession with the Blessed
Sacrament? Why will we sit in adoration keeping silent vigil? Why is this night
different than any other? The simple answer is that this night begins the
annual commemoration of Christ’s paschal mystery – his life, death, and
resurrection. While the celebration of the Mass is always a celebration of that
salvific truth, this yearly ritual draws us even more deeply into a mystical
encounter with that truth. Tonight we stand on the threshold of the Easter
Triduum, three days in which through word and gesture we will be not only participants
in the sacred actions here in this church but also participants as well in the
past salvific events which occurred more than two thousand years ago in
Jerusalem. These days are mystical moments of memory and reality. Our
celebrations tonight and tomorrow and Saturday are not intended to be three
distinct moments of sacred action, three separate “silos” as you will, standing
side-by-side in a field of time, but are, to our benefit and joy, three sacred
moments of night, day, and vigil united in celebration and in meaning. One
cannot understand the words we have heard tonight – “This is my body that is
for you…. This cup is the new covenant in my blood…. Do this in remembrance of
me…. As I have done for you so you should do” – unless one stands at the foot
of the Cross on Good Friday and in front of the empty tomb at the Easter
Vigil. Good Friday points back to
Holy Thursday and forward to Easter Saturday and the victory of the empty tomb
that we will celebrate on Saturday evening is a victory over the events that we
commemorate tonight and will recall tomorrow. Why is this night different from
all other nights? Because on this night we begin our yearly celebration of the
Easter mystery, celebrated across three days as one great liturgy of salvation.
That is why there is no blessing or dismissal this evening or tomorrow at the
end of each ritual; it is only at the end of the Easter Vigil that we receive
the blessing and are told to go forth, thus ending this three-day
commemoration. Why is this night different from all other nights? Because
tonight we stand on the edge of a great and mystical river of word and ritual
and sacred memory and are invited to step off and fall into the currents of
prayer, reflection, memory and worship, allowing those currents to take us
deeply into a real encounter with Christ’s life, death, and resurrection,
forming us more deeply into His image and likeness: “Jesus Christ yesterday and
today, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. All time belongs to
him and all the ages. To him be glory and power through every age and forever” •
AE
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