This morning we reflect on Luke’s two-part prelude to the
Lord’s Supper (Luke 22: 1-13). The first part recounts Judas’ tragic fall to the snares of
Satan and the demon of greed. In stark contrast, the second part is Jesus’
instructions to the disciples to make preparations for the sacred Passover meal
that would become the setting of Jesus’ sacrifice of his Body and Blood in the
Holy Eucharist.
Like Judas, we too may arrive at this Holy Thursday with our
demons grasping at the weakest parts of ourselves. Can we really break away
from the seemingly important demands of daily life to enter into the holiest
days of our Christian year with a fitting focus and commitment?
Tonight we enter into the Easter Triduum – that unusual word
that in Latin simply means “three days.” But these three days prayerfully draw
us into the Paschal Mystery – the suffering, the dying and ultimately the
rising – of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What could be more important?
The Church thrives and comes to life when we embrace these
days with our whole hearts – when we bring to them our bodies, our minds and
our souls: when we have our feet washed; when we touch and kiss the rough wood
of the cross; when we gather at the blazing Vigil fire; when we sing and make
music with boundless joy. These three days are not a series of unrelated
liturgical events but are one awesome and riveting movement from Holy Thursday
through Easter. It is a time for prayer and reflection. It is a time for
listening and waiting. And it is the time for fully active, conscious
participation.
As he did with Peter and John, Jesus invites us to “make
preparations.” To prepare to allow him to enter more deeply into our hearts. To
pray that others will be drawn to the mercy of God in these special days. To keep
watch with our candidates to be received into union with the Catholic Church,
and to pray especially for our young catechumens who will joyously enter the
waters of Baptism and the life of the Church at the Great Vigil of Easter.
So let’s put aside all that we can of life-as-usual, and make
holy preparations to celebrate Jesus alive among us in this community of faith
and deep within our very best selves.
