No Pain?  No Gain!  No Gall?  No Glory!  No Cross?  No Crown!

These words describe an important fact in Christianity: in order for us to be able to embrace the victory of Christ’s Resurrection, we must travel with Him through His self-giving acts found in His passion and death.  This is why it is KEY that we participate fully in the Easter Triduum, those three days leading up to Easter: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  In fact, these days are so intertwined, that the sign of the cross, which begins and ends all liturgies, only occurs at the start of Holy Thursday.  The next time the priest invites the people to sign themselves with the symbol of salvation is at the Easter Vigil.  I encourage all readers not to skip any of these days.  It will truly make the Easter celebration more glorious.

On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the gift of the Eucharist and the gift of the priesthood.  Just as the Israelites yearly commemorated Passover – the night God delivered them from the grasp of the Pharaoh by the killing of an unblemished Lamb, spreading its blood on the doorposts, and eating its flesh – we are called to commemorate, to remember, the true Passover, the night that God-made-Man begins our deliverance from the grasp of sin and death by becoming our Lamb, by allowing His blood to be spread on the doors of our lips and His flesh to be consumed.  Jesus wants us to never forget His gift of Love.  Therefore, He gave us the gift of the priesthood, those men who will continue to be His hands and His voice as He continues to come to us in the beautiful sacraments of the Church, especially the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist.

On Good Friday, Jesus, the Lamb of God, spreads out His arms for us in Love.  This is the gift of the Cross.  All the sin in the world from beginning to end, all the suffering in the world from beginning to end, including yours and mine, were placed upon that Cross.  He experienced it; He felt it; He allowed it to be placed upon His shoulders.  What physical pain He suffered!  What mental anguish He went through!  What great love He showed us!

Good Friday tells us that we, too, must pick up our crosses and follow Him.  Too many in our society try to run from any type of pain and discomfort!  We complain.  We get angry.  We lash out at others.  And now we live in a culture where if there is too much pain, we begin to push people to such sad endings as euthanasia.  God gives us the answer to pain.  It is found on the Cross, where Love is found, and pain borne with love is not really pain at all.

The best model for us to follow is the Blessed Virgin Mary.  She did not flee from the Cross.  She stood right below her Son, uniting her sufferings to His.  Thus, a sword of sorrow pierced her Immaculate Heart.  Yet, upon her lips were those words she said so long ago at the Annunciation, “Let it be.”

On Holy Saturday, we are to be silent.  Christ is in the tomb.  Soul and Body have been separated.  Yet, we know that all is not lost.  We wait, along with Mary, in eager anticipation for the dawning of the day, when Soul will reunite with Body in the Resurrection.  The victory will be complete.  What a glorious day that is.  What great hope for all of us upon this Earth as we embrace the gift of the Eucharist, Christ’s body and blood, as we pick up our crosses and follow His lead, as we wait in eager anticipation for that day when we will have the opportunity to see God face to face.  May God bless you.