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In the Jewish Pesach Seder meal, it is traditional for the youngest member of each family to ask, ''What makes this night different to all other nights?''
As we recall each year, this night is indeed different.
It is the night on which Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the most Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Priesthood that would offer It down through all the centuries until His Glorious Second Coming.
One of the great mysteries of the Catholic Faith is spoken of in terms of the principle of anamnesis. That gives a name to the mystery by which the Sacred Liturgy makes us present to the saving events and merits of Christ's Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. By opening ourselves to these mysteries we can enter into them and receive their fruits.
On the night of Holy Thursday, the Catholic Church enters into the Sacred Triduum. The three pivotal liturgies of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the vigil on Holy Saturday are the beating heart of the Church's liturgical year.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: ''Beginning with the Easter Triduum as its source of light, the new age of the Resurrection fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance... Therefore Easter is not simply one feast among others but the Feast of feasts, the Solemnity of solemnities, just as the Eucharist is the Sacrament of sacraments (the Great Sacrament). St. Athanasius calls Easter the 'Great Sunday' and the Eastern churches call Holy Week the 'Great Week' (CCC 1168;1169).''
At the end of the Mass of the Lord's Supper tonight, the Blessed Sacrament - Our Lord's Real Presence in the Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - is solemnly processed to an Altar of Repose. This altar is beautifully adorned with candles for silent prayer and veneration.
We've realised that we ''goofed'' a bit last year, when the positioning of our photograph of the Holy Sepulchre in St. Giles, Cheadle, seemed to suggest that the Holy Sepulchre in medieval churches was used as an altar of repose on this Maundy Thursday evening. Apologies for that! It seems that it was mainly used the next day - at the end of the liturgies of Good Friday; and again early on Easter morning. These medieval practices are themes we would like to research further.Â
Many churches in medieval Christendom had a specially constructed Holy Sepulchre on the sanctuary for those Good Friday and Easter Morning liturgies. As we said last year, the above image does show the Holy Sepulchre at St. Giles Catholic Church in Cheadle. Known as ''Pugin's Gem'', this church was designed and decorated by A.W.N. Pugin in the Gothic-revival style; and thus incorporated such a fine Holy Sepulchre alongside the sanctuary steps and within a decorative Rood Screen.
Getting back to the time of silent ''watching'' at the Altar of Repose after tonight's Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper: this period frequently lasts from the end of the Holy Mass until Midnight.
This awesome period of silence is one of the most sacred times of the year, when grace is so tangible it seems to thicken the air. I remember years ago, a friend grinning delightedly to me during a breather outside of the chapel and saying quietly, ''He's here, isn't He!''
In this holy time, we are enabled to enter into Our Lord's Hour in Gethsemane. This is a special moment to remain with and console Our Lord in His Passion; and to conform our wills to His, by following the example He gave by making the act of His acceptance of the divine will in His human will: ''Not my will, but Thine be done.'' (In the mystery of the Incarnation Christ has a divine will and a human will).Â
In St. Matthew's Gospel 24:40, Jesus asks His disciples, who had fallen asleep while He prayed in Gethsemane, ''Could you not wait with me for one hour?'' On this sacred night, we are given a unique opportunity each year to make reparation for our own lack of watchfulness by entering into His Hour with love and devotion.
What a grace-filled opportunity this is to receive afresh these words from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:Â ''Jesus knew us each and all during His life, His agony and His Passion, and He gave Himself up for each one of us: 'The Son of God... loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 2:20). He has loved us all with a human heart. For this reason, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by our sins and for our salvation (John 19:34), is quite rightly considered the chief sign and symbol of that... love with which the Divine Redeemer continually loves the Eternal Father and all human beings without exception (CCC 478).''
On this night, the Sacred Liturgy of the Catholic Church gives us a particularly important opportunity to receive this Love anew and to respond to it.
May none of us miss this opportunity! Â Â Â
