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Tuesday of Holy Week

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachtani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him. Mt. 27:45-49

Darkness was a sign of God’s wrath. It need not be literal darkness, but could be like saying about someone, “All of a sudden his face darkened with anger.”

Jesus cried out the opening words of Psalm 22. It begins on a note of desperation (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) and ends on a note of hope (“I will live for the Lord.”)

Jesus grew up with the psalms. They were part of Jewish prayer, and Psalm 22 would easily come to the lips of a pious Jew in a time of distress.

Although he had not abandoned hope, Jesus felt abandoned. And he told God so. It helped Jesus get through the ordeal.

To be able to express our honest feelings to someone is a sign of a good relationship.

Any honest feelings I’ve been holding back from God?

Spend some quiet time with the Lord.

April 4, 2007

The Triduum

In Jewish traditions, the day ends at sunset, and evening is the beginning of the next day. Liturgically, the Church follows this same tradition, which is why Sunday Mass can be on Saturday evening.

Lent ends on Holy Thursday evening (which is the beginning of Friday.) The “Triduum” (Latin for three days) begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. These are the three holiest days of the year.

The Triduum is “all one piece” – one single celebration of the dying and rising of Christ.

The Holy Thursday evening Eucharist recalls the Last Supper, the entry – way of the Lord into this suffering, dying and rising.

The heart of the Good Friday liturgy is the Passion according to John and the public veneration of the cross.

Holy Saturday is not like a regular weekend with a “Saturday evening Mass.” Instead there is the Easter Vigil during which we experience the “passing over” of Jesus from the darkness of death to new life. It begins after dark with the blessing of the new fire.