Today is Holy Thursday – the start of the Holy Triduum.

The Easter Triduum lasts from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery. The liturgy that starts Thursday goes for 3 days as one continual motion. In the holy land, Christians will often walk and go to the places where Christ himself went during the next 72 hours and re-enact the events that occurred there. The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

Tonight we celebrate the first mass which feeds us and the washing of feet that instituted our Christian ministry to serve the least of all.

Let us not betray our calling to be the salt of the earth – even if it costs us our lives. In the west, this might not mean our physical lives – but the comfortable trappings we use to isolate ourselves from those in need.