Triduum Present in Love and Service

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, invite us to be present in the Triduum, the three day experience of Christ love and in both horizontal and vertical dimensions.

Present in Service

In the Reading from the Book of Exodus the Passover Ritual is Prescribed.

* [12:1–20] This section, which interrupts the narrative of the exodus, contains later legislation concerning the celebration of Passover.

* [12:2] As if to affirm victory over Pharaoh and sovereignty over the Israelites, the Lord proclaims a new calendar for Israel. This month: Abib, the month of “ripe grain.” Cf. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Dt 16:1. It occurred near the vernal equinox, March–April. Later it was known by the Babylonian name of Nisan. Cf. Neh 2:1; Est 3:7.

* [12:4] The lamb’s cost: some render the Hebrew, “reckon for the lamb the number of persons required to eat it.” Cf. v. 10. (Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 116 presents vows and Temple sacrifices.

* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions. (Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians is the earliest account of the Tradition of the Institution.

* [11:23–25] This is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. The narrative emphasizes Jesus’ action of self-giving (expressed in the words over the bread and the cup) and his double command to repeat his own action. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus Washing of the Disciples’ Feet at the Last Supper.

* [13:1–20] Washing of the disciples’ feet. This episode occurs in John at the place of the narration of the institution of the Eucharist in the synoptics. It may be a dramatization of Lk 22:27—“I am your servant.” It is presented as a “model” (“pattern”) of the crucifixion. It symbolizes cleansing from sin by sacrificial death.

* [13:1] Before the feast of Passover: this would be Thursday evening, before the day of preparation; in the synoptics, the Last Supper is a Passover meal taking place, in John’s chronology, on Friday evening. To the end: or, “completely.”

* [13:2] Induced: literally, “The devil put into the heart that Judas should hand him over.”

* [13:5] The act of washing another’s feet was one that could not be required of the lowliest Jewish slave. It is an allusion to the humiliating death of the crucifixion.

* [13:10] Bathed: many have suggested that this passage is a symbolic reference to baptism. The Greek root involved is used in baptismal contexts in 1 Cor 6:11; Eph 5:26; Ti 3:5; Heb 10:22. (John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. George Meze, SJ, comments that the deeper meaning of these actions was revealed in the crucifixion as Jesus shared his life with the wounded humanity. In this mystery, the Divine One humbled God’s own self by becoming human to serve and redeem humanity.

 

This reflection reminds the three ways of humility described by St. Ignatius. The first way is obedience to God in all things. The second is to take a step further where one practices the virtue of indifference to dispose oneself to God’s Will. The third is the most radical and unusual: intentionally choosing to live as Jesus lived; to choose poverty with Christ poor rather than wealth; contempt rather than honors; to be useless rather than a prudent person.

As we celebrate Jesus’ Last Supper, He invites us into His intentional way of sharing. As Ignatius teaches, it means divesting of self-love, self-will, and self-interest to invest in God’s love, God’s will, and God’s interest. We pray for the grace to respond to our Savior’s invitation to take part in his Sharing. (Meze, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ chose to be a servant who offered himself for us”, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Even though the man Christ Jesus, in the form of God together with the Father with whom He is one God, accepts our sacrifice, nonetheless He has chosen in the form of a servant to be the sacrifice rather than accept it. Therefore, He is the priest Himself Who presents the offering, and He Himself is what is offered." (excerpt from City of God, 10,20) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments both on the Chrism mass, celebrated yesterday in this diocese, and also on the Institution of the Eucharist celebrated as part of the Triduum. In Exodus are the instructions for the first Passover sacrifice and the shedding of blood as a sign to the Angel of Death. This was likely originally an agricultural feast to celebrate the Spring birth of the lambs. The people are told to keep the memorial forever. When celebrated in dress for a journey they were making present the Exodus event as in our Eucharist we celebrate the Presence of Christ. The Corinthians passage is the earliest account of the Institution. It is similar to what is found in Luke’s Gospel. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark it is blood in the cup. In celebrating the Eucharist we are present with Jesus as we pass out of time into eternity in some way. This is the message in the Gospels of  Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In John, the account emphasizes the horizontal dimension of Eucharist. The vertical dimension in the Gospel of John is in the Chapter 6, Bread of Life discourse, and the service in Chapter 13 emphasises community in the Eucharist. Friar Jude comments we often find it difficult to have others serve us, but love requires the vulnerability to allow others to serve us. Asking for help is an opportunity for them to serve us. 

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 13:1-15 comments on the scene in John of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Yet, if we have eyes to see it, this passage also reveals beautiful truths about Jesus’ gift of his Body and Blood.

Do you realize what I have done for you? Finally, Jesus tells us he has given us “a model” to follow; he wants us to “wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14, 15). And in the Eucharist, he gives us the grace to fulfill that call. “As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity” (Catechism, 1394). Jesus dwells in you and helps you to see more clearly the needs of the people around you. Even more, he moves your heart to gladly sacrifice your time, energy, and resources in love.

Do you realize what Jesus has done for you? Bow down before him in wonder and gratitude today!

“Thank you, Jesus, for your great gift of the Eucharist.” (Meditation on John 13:1-15, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Dr. Yolanda Pierce who finds both comfort and challenge in the spiritual “Were You There?,” which invites listeners to reflect on how they are present to Jesus’s death on the cross.

There is fullness of life when you show up, fully present, when people are suffering and where people are bearing the burdens of their own crosses. “Were You There?” is a reminder that to be fully present with the whole of humanity does not require us to enter the sanctuary or walk across the threshold of a church. The cross, Calvary, is a site of public spectacle. The rhetorical question “Were you there?” signifies the real pressing question about whether you will be present for lost and hurting generations.

To be present is to be wherever there is need. Were you there when the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina or when the earthquake shook Haiti? Will you be there when the next natural disaster strikes and the most vulnerable cannot find shelter?…

To be present is to be where people are suffering. Were you there among the hungry and the homeless, those in search of both their spiritual and physical daily bread?… Or will you cross to the other side of the street?

To be present is to be at the front lines of the fight for justice. Were you there in Selma and Birmingham, risking the dogs and the water hoses? Will you be there on Capitol Hill to fight for health care for the uninsured? Will you be there at your senator’s office to protest the cuts to educational funding even as another several billion dollars are appropriated to fight unjust wars?

The lyrics of “Were You There?” continue with the words “Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble! Tremble! Tremble!” I wonder whether we have lost our ability to tremble—to be deeply affected —in the face of injustice. I wonder whether we no longer tremble in the presence of a holy God who requires us to do the work of justice. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Presence of the Spirit as we walk with Jesus in the events of the Triduum, representing the three days that are the Source and Summit of our invitation to fullness of Life.

References

Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12?1 

John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13?1 

Meditation on John 13:1-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/02/1530864/ 

Meze, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-2-2026 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11? 

Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/116? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Were You There? Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/were-you-there/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus' Supreme Humility and Unfailing Love. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 2, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Faith and Vigilance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the tension between tradition and our mission to be open to receiving challenges that expand our understanding of Divine Love for all humanity.

Tradition and Faith

 

The reading from the Book of Wisdom recalls Moses and Passover.

* [18:5] Single boy: Moses.

* [18:9] Divine institution: the Passover. Ancestral hymns of praise: possibly the Hallel psalms, the psalms sung at the end of the Passover meal; cf. Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises God the Creator.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews celebrates the Faith of the Ancients.

* [11:1–40] This chapter draws upon the people and events of the Old Testament to paint an inspiring portrait of religious faith, firm and unyielding in the face of any obstacles that confront it. These pages rank among the most eloquent and lofty to be found in the Bible. They expand the theme announced in Heb 6:12, to which the author now returns (Heb 10:39). The material of this chapter is developed chronologically. Heb 11:3–7 draw upon the first nine chapters of Genesis (Gn 1–9); Heb 11:8–22, upon the period of the patriarchs; Heb 11:23–31, upon the time of Moses; Heb 11:32–38, upon the history of the judges, the prophets, and the Maccabean martyrs. The author gives the most extensive description of faith provided in the New Testament, though his interest does not lie in a technical, theological definition. In view of the needs of his audience he describes what authentic faith does, not what it is in itself. Through faith God guarantees the blessings to be hoped for from him, providing evidence in the gift of faith that what he promises will eventually come to pass (Heb 11:1). Because they accepted in faith God’s guarantee of the future, the biblical personages discussed in Heb 11:3–38 were themselves commended by God (Heb 11:2). Christians have even greater reason to remain firm in faith since they, unlike the Old Testament men and women of faith, have perceived the beginning of God’s fulfillment of his messianic promises (Heb 11:39–40). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus praises Vigilant and Faithful Servants.

* [12:35–48] This collection of sayings relates to Luke’s understanding of the end time and the return of Jesus. Luke emphasizes for his readers the importance of being faithful to the instructions of Jesus in the period before the parousia.

* [12:45] My master is delayed in coming: this statement indicates that early Christian expectations for the imminent return of Jesus had undergone some modification. Luke cautions his readers against counting on such a delay and acting irresponsibly. Cf. the similar warning in Mt 24:48. (Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. George Meze, SJ, asks “How do we stay awake for Jesus?”

In this sense, the Happiness GPS is the voice of Jesus, gently guiding us through our conscience to do what is right: to love, to serve, to be good to him through our neighbors. Even when we miss the route, God’s GPS re-routes us, always giving us a chance to repent at every step where we fail. In following God’s command, happiness is assured in two ways: we begin to live a spiritually healthy life, and we receive and bring joy to our good Lord.

After all, God deserves our happiness too, for we were created from his happiness. Perhaps, it takes a little struggle to follow God’s GPS to find his happiness. Shall we? (Meze, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “The true meaning of 'loins girded and lamps burning',” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"The girding of our loins (Luke 12:25) signifies the readiness of the mind to work hard in every thing praiseworthy. Those who apply themselves to bodily labors and are engaged in strenuous toil have their loins girded. The lamp apparently represents the wakefulness of the mind and intellectual cheerfulness. We say that the human mind is awake when it repels any tendency to slumber off into that carelessness that often is the means of bringing it into subjection to every kind of wickedness. When sunk in stupor, the heavenly light within the mind is liable to be endangered, or even already is in danger from a violent and impetuous blast of wind. Christ commands us to be awake. To this, his disciple also arouses us by saying, 'Be awake. Be watchful' (1 Peter 5:8). Further on, the very wise Paul also says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall give you light' (Ephesians 5:14)." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 92) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the texts of today. The Book of Wisdom written in Greek is one of the last books that demonstrates that Jewish wisdom is as great as Greek Wisdom. The message from God concerning the Passover is that God will fulfill His promises. Hebrews gives a definition of faith as an act of profound trust. We believe and base life on the Person that God is. Examples of faith are Abraham and Sarah and the offering of Isaac. In the Gospel from Luke Jesus speaks not to trust in money or material things. If we trust we are vigilant, we try to leave “Nothing left unsaid, nothing left undone.” The servant does the best he can. The person who has received much will return much. Faith is not evenly present. Friar Jude reminds us that God only expects what we can do!

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the apostle Paul’s transforming encounter with the risen Christ, which changed Paul from a vengeful zealot into a universal mystic. Paul is probably one of the most misunderstood and disliked teachers in Christianity. Fr. Richard thinks this is largely because we have tried to understand a nondual mystic with our simplistic, dualistic minds. 

Paul must have wondered: “Why does he say ‘persecuting me’ when I’m persecuting these other people?” This choice of words is pivotal. Paul gradually comes to his understanding of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–13) as an organic, ontological union between Christ and those whom Christ loves—which Paul eventually realizes is everyone and every thing. This is why Paul becomes “the apostle to the nations” (or “gentiles”). 

This enlightening experience taught Paul nondual consciousness, the same mystical mind that allowed Jesus to say things like “Whatever you do to these least ones, you do to me” (Matthew 25:40). Until grace achieves the same victory in our minds and hearts, we cannot really comprehend most of Jesus and Paul’s teachings—in any practical way. It will remain distant theological dogma. Before conversion, we tend to think of God as “out there.” After transformation, as Teresa of Ávila wrote, “The soul … never doubts: God was in her; she was in God.” [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit to be aware and open to promptings to grow in our relationship to God and the people we encounter.

References

Hebrews, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/11?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/12?32 

Meze, G. (2025, August 10). Daily Reflection August 10, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-10-2025 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/mystical-conversion/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=aug10 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/18?6