This evening, we began the three holiest days of the Christian calendar when we celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on this Holy Thursday. I was so wonderful being able to celebrate with a community present. Last year’s Triduum was so different because there were no more than ten people that were allowed to be present. Our Mass last year was livestreamed and the only people present were a musician, the celebrant and concelebrant, a server, and a volunteer running the camera for the livestream. Tonight, the church was comfortably full and it felt so good.
We were not able to do a couple of things because of the pandemic. We did not have the foot washing and we did not have a Eucharistic procession after Communion nor put up an altar of repose and leave the church open for any who might want to come visit throughout the night. Hopefully that will all be back next year and this pandemic will be a memory.
But, we begin. The next part of the Triduum takes place tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in the church as we celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion. Again, because of the pandemic, we will not be able to have the individual veneration of the cross as we cannot have all sorts of people touching the same item. But the service, I’m sure, will be well attended.
We will also have a Tenebrae prayer service in the church at 7:00 p.m. This scripture service recounts the Lord being placed in the tomb, the stone rolled across the entrance, and the crowd leaving is sorrow.
I’m beat. It’s been a long and emotionally exhausting day but a good one. I pray that your experience of these three days is a good one and that you draw closer to our gracious, loving, and redeeming God.
g’night