March 28, 2024 – Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is another important day of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday signifies the beginning of the great “Three Days” of the Triduum, which encompasses the last three days of Lent. The word Triduum comes from the Latin word meaning “three days.” It begins the evening of Maundy Thursday and ends at Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. Thus the Triduum consists of three full days which begin and end in the evening. The Triduum technically is not part of Lent (at least liturgically), but Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are still reckoned as part of the traditional forty day Lenten fast.

The Triduum celebrates the heart of our faith, salvation, and redemption: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, the Triduum commemorates the Institution of the Eucharist (the “sacrament of sacraments”), the passion, crucifixion, death of the Lord, his descent to the dead, and finally his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday morning. Along with the Ascension, these important events make up the Paschal Mystery. Thus the Triduum becomes the culmination of our liturgical year including the Easter Triduum, and Easter Sunday, the “solemnity of solemnities,” the “Great Feast.”

On the night of the celebration of Maundy Thursday, not only do we remember the last supper, but we remember the commandment Christ gave to his disciples to “love one another”. It was not a holy suggestion – it was a command:

“I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

This is one of the reasons we need Maundy Thursday – we need to be reminded that we are to love one another because we so often fail at love. And I am not talking now about love of a spouse or “Eros” love, I am talking about “Philia” love or love of brother and sister, and “Agape” love, love of G-d. It is so important in the Kingdom of G-d that Jesus needed to command that we love one another. In this season of Easter coming up, when you peer upon the cross on Good Friday, and then marvel at the empty tomb of Easter Sunday, remember to love one another.

Pastor Dave

March 27, 2024 — Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusalem. There was a desire to reproduce the “Way” of Jesus in the last week of his life, especially in and around Jerusalem. So, by the 4th century, there were attempts by certain people, like Constantine’s mother, to give people an opportunity to visit important sites from the life of Jesus – from his birth, to the crucifixion, to his resurrection.

At the monastery of Santo Stefano at Bologna a group of connected chapels was constructed as early as the 5th century, by St. Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, which was intended to represent the more important shrines of Jerusalem. As such this monastery became familiarly known as “Santa Gerusalemme”. This may be regarded as the genesis for the idea of the Stations of the Cross, at least outside of Jerusalem developed. It is certain that nothing that we have before about the 15th century can strictly be called a Way of the Cross in the modern sense. And so, we carry on this tradition of traveling the “Way of the Cross” that developed more than 500 years ago by having a service called “The Stations of the Cross.” It is a proper and fitting way to begin the services of Holy Week.

There are two ways that the stations can be conducted. One is to have “stations” along a route outside the church, or a smaller route inside the church. From the first station, people then travel to any number of stations where a lesson from the passion story is read followed by a prayer. After a brief time of silence and reflection, the group travels to the next “station”.

A second way to honor the “stations of the Cross” is to sit in the nave of the church and read the lessons and prayers and either project images or include images in a booklet. This is the way that my congregation honors the stations. What is most important about the Stations of the Cross is the opportunity we offer to people in the community to again hear and meditate upon the passion of Jesus.

Pastor Dave