Since I was young, I have always looked forward to Holy Thursday and the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The Mass had special elements that highlighted the sacredness of the night. After a long Lent of bare altars and simple songs, the church was decorated with flowers, incense and festive music. Bells rang while the Gloria was sung at the beginning of Mass and after the homily, the priest washed the feet of twelve parishioners. In the late 1970s, it was one of the few times of the year when the chalice was shared with the laity and we received the Body and Blood of Christ under both species at Communion. Finally, the Mass ended with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the church, where the Eucharist was then placed at an altar of repose (away from the main altar). The church remained open until midnight and people would stay and pray (as the Lord asked his disciples to do on that first Holy Thursday).
Traditionally, Catholics visit seven parishes on this night. In my neighborhood, where there were three Catholic churches all within a few city blocks, people would go from church to church to visit and keep vigil. Because there seemed to be a church on every corner in Philadelphia in those days, it was easy for my family and me to stop at seven churches. I always thought this was a connection to the seven sacraments. However, historians tell us that this is a “throwback” to the ancient practice of visiting the seven basilicas of Rome as an act of penance. This, in turn, has roots in the biblical story of Jesus stopping by seven places before He was condemned to death.
Whatever its origins, this tradition is a reminder that as we begin the Sacred Triduum of the Church, we are walking with Christ on His journey to the cross, the grave and the Resurrection. As a child, I was impressed with the streams of people who would spend a few hours on a Thursday night to walk, to watch and to pray. As I grow older, I am keenly aware that our whole life is a journey, a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are important in both the Old and New Testaments and throughout Christian history. In Catholic culture there are countless traditions of pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Lourdes, the Camino, just to name a few. Wherever we go, we are given the opportunity to encounter Christ and to pray among the saints.
As pilgrims, we always travel together. We walk with one another and we support our companions on the journey. During these holy days, may we keep walking with one another, lifting up, listening to and loving our neighbor. The words of Saint Francis de Sales remind me of the joys and challenges of the journey:
“Let us walk joyously dear souls, among the difficulties of this passing life… These pains will have an end when our life ends, after which there will be only joy, only contentment, only eternal consolation.” This is the Paschal Mystery. This is our destination and our vocation.
