The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year… It is the Passover of the Lord. Taken from the first reading tonight, these phrases signal for me the holiest time of the year. The Triduum is filled with mystical presence and holiness for me. Just to hear the words of the first reading tonight, “It is the Passover of the Lord” will send shivers up and down.
This evening we’ll be celebrating a “dish to pass” supper at Mt. Irenaeus followed by the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. One of the friars will carry a pitcher and a large wash basin, another will carry a towel as the celebrant washes the feet of perhaps a dozen of those present. Tonight these Franciscans will literally live the Gospel. In the process hearts and minds will be transformed. The altar will be stripped, fragrant incense will fill the chapel as we wait in our gardens of Gethsemani to adore the Blessed Sacrament. It is a holy night. It is the passover of the Lord.
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”
Technorati Tags:
triduum, eucharist, passover, franciscan, mt. irenaeus