Maundy Thursday

The next several days are at the heart of the Christian Tradition. The Church recapitulates the events of the final hours of Jesus' life -- his last meal with his friends and followers, his betrayal, his "trial", his suffering and death, his burial in a new tomb. We sit in silence. We wait. We watch.

This series of liturgies -- Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and the Great Vigil of Easter -- is actually one liturgy spanning three days. No dismissal will be spoken until the conclusion of the Vigil, so in effect, between gatherings, the liturgy is "in recess". We both live through this holy time and simultaneously find ourselves surrounded by it. We travel a well-worn path -- Upper Room, Garden, Courtroom, Cross, Tomb.

We travel these Three Days with millions upon millions of Fellow Pilgrims throughout the world now. We walk this path following the footsteps of the Cloud of Witnesses who have gone before us. And yet, we each also travel it alone -- alone with our struggles, distractions, doubts and fears. Sometimes we are focused and centered. Sometimes our minds wander and our attention strays. Maybe we try to concentrate on the story in hopes of learning something new. Maybe the story is so familiar it barely registers in our overstimulated psyches. Maybe the practical plans we have for Easter Dinner or Spring Break simply overshadow the Mystery of these Holy Days.

These Three Days arrive without asking our permission, or if now, this particular week, is a "convenient time" for us. These Three Days will pass whether we choose to participate in the drama or not. These Three Days are sacred time. Time to tell the story again -- in words and silence, hymnody and drama. Perhaps in telling the story one more time, we will at last hear it for the Good News it is.