And Now Begins the Triduum
And now begins the Triduum. Here is an excerpt about Maundy Thursday from Easter at the Mission.
What is Holy Thursday?
Holy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) starts the Triduum (Latin
for three days) with its evening Mass. The Triduum is a 3-day period at the end
of Lent and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Saturday vigil.
Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper. That is when
Jesus ate together for the last time with his 12 apostles (and during which
Judas slipped out and betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver). Before eating
supper with his apostles, Jesus washed their feet. The feet washing is also
commemorated during the Holy Thursday Mass.
Maundy, a term
common to Protestant churches, is an old word used in England and France that
meant “commandment” (Latin: mandatum).
It was called that because during the Last Supper, Jesus gave the apostles (us,
too) a very important commandment: “A new commandant I give to you, that you
love one another even as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
The Mass on Holy Thursday
The Mass on Holy Thursday is different from other Masses. It
is long, active, and a bit quiet. People are occupied with participation in the
Mass (more than at other Masses), and I sometimes find that I have a little
time to myself. I like to climb up onto the piano and rest near the musician,
who does not have a lot to do at this particular Mass. I am always welcomed,
which is a very good feeling. I like to think that just like Jesus and his apostles
went to an upper room for their supper, I am also “up”—up on the piano, about
as high as I can get in the church.
One of the special parts of the Holy Thursday Mass is the
washing of feet. This act reflects Jesus washing the disciplines’ feet in a
show of humility and service. Likewise, the priest washes the feet of 12
parishioners, who sit on chairs at the end of the pews. The priest is assisted
by either a deacon or an altar server.
One year, Fr. Greg, our priest at the time, had the 12 “apostles”
(selected parishioners) wash the feet of all the other parishioners. I think
that was a surprise for some of the parishioners, but I could sense that they
liked it.
Jesus washed the apostles’ feet because their feet were
dirty. Like everyone else in the area around the Mediterranean Sea, the
apostles wore sandals, and they walked about the desert. Everyone expected to
have dirty feet, and when entering a home as a guest, their feet were often
washed. If they were washed by a servant, it was considered lowly work. If they
were washed by the host, it was considered a greeting, welcome, and sign of
friendship. If a wife washed the feet of her husband, it was a sign of love.
So, foot washing was a pretty complicated ritual—and that did not even include
the need to wash feet before religious services because one does not come
before God with dirty feet so the priest would wash their feet. (Now here we
cats have an advantage. We just lick our paws clean.)
Although Jesus did not say why he was washing the feet of
his apostles, the description in the New Testament makes it clear that his
action differed from the tradition of the times. He did it first from love;
that is clear from the commandant he gave to love one another. It is also clear
from his conversation with Peter who, at first, did not want Jesus to wash his
feet because he felt that he was not worthy of that, but Jesus explained that if
he did not wash Peter’s feet, he would lose out on a stronger relationship with
Jesus (and, of course, Peter immediately acquiesced). Second, washing the
apostles’ feet demonstrated Jesus’s humility and servanthood, and it became an
example for people to follow with each other, to be each other’s servant.
(Sorry, unfortunately, as a cat, this is one ritual I can only watch though I
do sometimes wash a parishioner’s hand or face. That is me doing my best to
follow Jesus’s command and example.)
The Eucharist is, of course, also a part of the Holy
Thursday Mass as it is the center of attention at every Mass. The words of the
Eucharist parallel those of Jesus during the Last Supper, and the host and wine
(body and blood) let us be with Jesus during the Eucharist. (Don’t forget that
in Greek efkharisto, the origin of
the word eucharist, means thank you.
All three gatherings of the Triduum—this Mass of the
Lord’s Supper, the Good Friday service, and the Easter Vigil—are considered to
be one continuing service, so this Mass doesn’t end as usual, it simply stops
when the container of consecrated bread is taken to the Altar of Repose. At the
Mission, this is in the Guadalupe Chapel. The altar is stripped, and the people
are free to accompany the priest as he carries the sacred body to the Chapel
and remain in silent meditation, or simply leave. There is no recessional.
I am also free to accompany the priest. I do. Somberly,
like all the parishioners. These last three days, once the Lord’s Supper has
finished, are sad ones. Even a cat can feel the sadness in the service.
Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament
In the chapel, the priest exposes the Blessed Sacrament to
begin the Adoration. During the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, everyone
kneels. The priest and the parishioners recite prayers. I will describe the
many different kinds of prayers in my next book, Praying with Sula: A Cat Shares the Prayers of the Catholic Church.
They include The Divine Praises, requests for mercy, personal prayer, and
silence, among others. The Boss does not care how you adore the Blessed
Sacrament; He just cares that you do so. I think Jesus is very happy to see so
many people in front of him in the chapel on Holy Thursday.
After the prayers are over, the priest stays kneeling in
adoration for a while and then leaves. Parishioners may leave whenever they
have finished their prayers and adoration. Some leave soon; others stay longer;
some stay very long; I stay longest.
While the parishioners are engaged in adoration, I move among them, looking for any who might need me. My mission never stops, regardless of what shape the Mass takes. That is why I stay the longest for the Adoration of the Cross.
About the book:
Sula, parish cat at Old Mission, wrote a helpful book, Easter at the Mission, with information not generally shared in books that more superficially discuss the events around Easter, that explains Catholic dogma (much would also relate to Protestant denominations).
Sula's book is informative yet delightfully illustrated and easy to understand. It can be purchased on the spot at Old Mission gift shop or at St. Francis Retreat Center, both in San Juan Bautista. Or, it can be purchased online. Want a discount? Order from MSI Press webstore at half price sale; use code FF25, and get another 25% off. Cannot beat that price! But it won't last beyond Easter, so please do hurry if you want the book.
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