This evening we began our celebration of the sacred Triduum - the three days in which Our Lord gives Himself to us in the Eucharist, gives Himself for us on the Cross, and rises from the dead, that He might open for us the way to eternal life. The Mass of the Lord's Supper, which begins these three days, allows us to be present at the last meal shared by Jesus and His disciples - a meal at which He gave us the Eucharist and the Priesthood, He washed the feet of His disciples as an example of service, and gave us the new commandment: "Love one another, as I have loved you."
All of these events are celebrated at this liturgy. At the end of Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession to the Altar of Repose, which represents the garden of Gethsemane. Here we have the opportunity to do what Jesus asked of Peter, James and John: to stay, keep watch and pray with Him as He accepts the Father's will. The Altar of Repose is beautifully decorated with candles and flowers, in honour of Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist, and interceding for us in our need. If you are reading this before midnight on Holy Thursday, call in and spend some time in prayer: the Lord is there, waiting for you. More images of tonight's Mass in the gallery below.
