Triduum Sacrum – Holy Thursday

Triduum Sacrum: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Exodus 12:1-8; 11-14; Psalm 116; I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15

A parent with child in arms dips their hand into the waters of the Baptismal font and blesses themselves. Then the parent dips again into the waters and traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of their child.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

A sponsor shares with a catechumen about what it has meant to be a follower of Jesus.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

Having your children help care for your mother who is elderly and can’t get around as easily.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

A dad lets his son drop the envelope in the church collection basket or hands over some pocket change to put into the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas and briefly speaks about what it means to help people in need and support the works of the Church.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

You answer a question of a colleague at work who is inquiring about some aspect of the Christian Faith. “We do this…We stand for this…because we believe this…”

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

The children are with you at grandma’s wake. Why? Because this is what we do.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

A parent puts a few extra cans of soup in the supermarket basket and explains to their children that there are people who are hungry in the area, and then with the children drop them off at church or the Food Pantry with the explanation, this is what Jesus taught us to do.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

You stop and correct a person who is denying the dignity of another human being. Other people are watching.

What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you.

We pray for and bury the dead because we believe in eternal life. We feed the hungry and care for the infirm and poor because Jesus did. We worship God with full hearts because Jesus with a full heart began our sacrificial act of worship on the Cross. We explain our lifestyle choices and the beliefs that under-gird them because Jesus taught the crowds. We give thanks because Jesus did when he multiplied the fishes and loaves and on the night before he was executed.

You can’t learn the lifestyle of Jesus from a manual. As in: Christian Manual: Step 1. Make sure you have all the pieces in the carton. Step 2. Lay them out according to the picture enclosed. Step 3. Attach with the enclosed bracket Part A with Part B… It is not a project like putting a bicycle together but an everyday lifestyle filled with choices small and large.

There is a wonderful story told about Gregory the wonder-worker when he was a young man. He came to Origen of Alexandria, an early Christian teacher, and inquired, ‘I want to learn your teachings, your beliefs.’ Origen said, ‘first come and live our life and then you’ll know our beliefs from the inside’.

Or consider Gerard Manley Hopkins the great Jesuit poet. He was approached by a young man who was struggling with the faith and wanted advice. Hopkins said, “Give alms”. Enter into the work of justice.

This handing down began with Jesus the night before he died. Passed down through the Church we gather tonight and every Sunday because Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We received from the Lord what had been handed on to us.

Many of us gathered here are grieving because what we handed on was either not received, or received and discarded or…not yet received [?].

When we hand on something, whether a recipe from grandma, a house that has been in the family for generations, a car to an adolescent son or daughter, or the wisdom of our lived experience; we hand on something that is precious to us. It hurts when not received. For you see, “Christians are made, not born.” [Tertullian 150 – 220AD]

Who handed on the Christian faith and lifestyle to you?

Who tacitly said, “What I received from the Lord, I hand on to you?"

To whom have you handed on the Christian lifestyle and faith?

It is this personal handing on that is important tonight, not its reception. It is our fidelity to the Lord that is important. For the handing on marks us as a believer, sustains us in our personal faith and lifestyle and strengthens us as we strive to live out with a deeper commitment what was handed on to you and me.