The Easter Triduum

The Easter Triduum - Year C

At the beginning of this week, we heard the Passion according to the Gospel of Luke. Each of the Passion narratives is slightly different from the others and one of the differences that stood out for me on Palm Sunday was the prayer that Jesus offers from the cross, 'forgive them Father, they do not know what they are doing.'

These words resonated with me and have done for a number of days. If we look for ourselves in the re-telling of Jesus' Passion are these words being spoken about us?

If I ask myself, do I really know what I am doing, the answer is yes. When I am focused more on myself than others, I know what I am doing. When I choose to turn away, to scroll past, to change the channel to avoid having to hear and process someone else's suffering, I know what I am doing. When I shake my head and judge someone else, whether internally or out loud, I have to admit I know exactly what I am doing.

But... I am not always consciously considering the effect that my actions have. I know what I am doing, but I am not always actively considering the consequences - for myself or those around me.

As we head into the Paschal Triduum - the three-day journey from the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday to the Easter Vigil after sunset on Saturday evening - we hear John's account of the Passion, which begins with the phrase that Jesus knew everything that was about to happen. Though the text is referring to His arrest, trial, crucifixion and death, in the context of my reflection on Luke's account what I hear is that, although I sometimes don't think about the cost of what I have done and what I have failed to do, God is fully aware. And that God's love being greater than God's knowing, Jesus lays down His life for me anyway.

This extraordinary love is what we are called to in the Gospel acclamation at the beginning of the Triduum - Love one another as I have loved you. As we journey with Jesus from the upper room and calvary, to the empty tomb, I pray that it may lead me at least a little closer to living out the example His love sets for us.

Salvador Dali - Crucifixion

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