Holy Thurday - April 18, 2019
Holy
Thursday is the liturgical culmination of all the preparation of the previous
six weeks. It is the beginning of the
holiest three days in the church year. In the liturgy’s first reading, God
gives Moses precise and detailed information on how to prepare for the Passover
meal.
When I
read tonight’s first reading from Exodus, I reflected on all the times in my
life when I had to prepare. If I had to be ready for an event, I did not get
there without practice, practice, practice. I ask myself as Lent comes to an
end and we begin the celebration of the Triduum, am I prepared? Did I pay
attention to the readings each day of Lent? Did I do what I needed to do this
Lent? To be prepared, takes practice.
My
first recollection of an adult in my life other than my parents occurred at age
five. I took piano lessons. It was considered a privilege and a discipline in
our home. Each week I had a lesson and I was to practice every day and chart
all of my practice times. I had to write
them in a ledger and show them to my piano teacher. She always knew when I was really doing the
work throughout the week because all the instructions that she had given me the
previous week were completed as she had instructed. Ms. Schnorf was very specific about what
scales I was to do, how many times I was to practice the chords and what pieces
I could play. While I do not remember her ever explaining why this was
important, I remember that the good lessons I had were at the end of a good
week of practices.
From
early childhood to today, I have had specific teachers in my life who have and
continue to ask me to practice for the game, a concert, an event and my
spiritual life. This Lent season has
been my time to practice and listen to God’s instructions in an effort to make
this the best Easter celebration ever.
Q: Do I practice each day to live
as faithfully as possible? Can I chart my practices?
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