Submitted by Fr. Peter Ullrich, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Tarkio

“Why is this night different than every other night?” So asks the youngest child of the family of the father of the household at the Passover supper. This year Passover began last evening (Wednesday) and so coincides with the Holy Days of the Christian world in which we commemorate and celebrate the Passing Over of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, Thursday, is called Holy Thursday (sometimes Maundy Thursday- “Maundy” coming from the Latin “mandatum” refers to Jesus’ command to love in the way He loves).

This is the beginning of our sacred three days (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday). We might well ask ourselves and in our families – why are these days different than all the others? Indeed they are. These are the days when Christians everywhere celebrate the Redemptive work of Jesus – his life, death, and resurrection and all that this means. Perhaps a better word is commemorate or remember. We celebrate how Jesus gathered with his 12 apostles to celebrate Passover – and as they did He washed their feet, a powerful moment for Jesus followers over the centuries – He is the Suffering Servant – He gives us the example – as He has done so we are to do.  He gave us all a memorial of his approaching Passion and Death as he took bread, blessed it, and gave it to His apostles: “take this and eat, this is my Body” and the cup of wine: “take this and drink it; this is the cup of my blood which is poured out for you. Do this in memory of me.” And he gave us the command of love –“love one another as I have loved you.”

From there the mood changes – Jesus is arrested, beaten, scourged, taken before Herod, then Pilate, ultimately condemned to death, on the cross. Thus Good Friday is a solemn day as we commemorate the death of Jesus, in all its pain and suffering. Jesus dies on the cross. “It is finished” – he gives His life over to God the Father – and with that act He unites Himself to people of all times and places as the Messiah and Redeemer, His blood poured for the forgiveness of sins. It is a day of quiet, a day of prayer, a day of remembering. Jesus is laid in the tomb. This brings us to Holy Saturday, another day of quiet. But a quiet of waiting, pondering. What has just happened? What has Jesus done? Where is the Lord? He sleeps in death.

And we come to that morning of the first day of the week. HE IS RISEN. He is not here. The tomb is empty. Death could not contain Him. We sing with joy of the Lord’s victory in which we share.

This year our celebrations of Passover and of the Lord’s death and Resurrection will be different from anything we’ve seen before. Unfortunately, our churches will be mostly empty this year as we care of one another even by being apart. We will not be gathered together as we are accustomed to celebrate Easter. But the truth of the Lord’s victory is no less real. The same Jesus is with us and in our midst; He still greets us as of old: “Peace be with you” – It falls to us to make these days special. Perhaps we will discover new ways of being together and even as families of faith. We still sing with joy: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” Alleluia.