Introduction – Easter Triduum
Holy Thursday is the first day of Easter Triduum, the three days of solemn observance leading up to Easter Sunday.
The Triduum (from a Latin root meaning “three days”) is its own liturgical season, distinct from both Lent and Easter. While the forty days of Lent evoke the pilgrim nature of the Church and the fifty days of Easter offer a foretaste of the promised glory awaiting us, the Triduum is specifically dedicated to celebrating the heart of the paschal mystery itself. It does this with an intense commemoration of Christ’s last hours, his crucifixion, his burial, and his resurrection.
The Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, continues with the liturgical commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday, and culminates in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.
Introduction – Mass of the Lord’s Supper
The Triduum opens by memorializing Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples the night before his death. At this gathering, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood and gave the new commandment of love.
The readings for this Mass offer profound insights into the mystery of the Eucharist, the call to service and love, and the imminent passion and death of Jesus Christ.
1st Reading – Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
Tonight, we recall and memorialize the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal. Our first reading is the story of the first Passover, the fateful night in Egypt when the Israelites were instructed by God to mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood to be spared from the coming plague.
This event is the historical and theological backdrop for the Last Supper, revealing its deeper meaning. It also points ahead to the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ death, as he becomes the true Paschal Lamb whose blood delivers humanity from sin and death.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
God institutes a new calendar for Israel based on the event that is about to unfold. Their liberation from slavery in Egypt is so important that it will be their cornerstone for measuring time — it is the most critical moment in the history of Israel.
“This month” is the month of Nisan, which corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar.
Note how the message and the details of the rite were all decreed by God himself. God takes the initiative.
Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The celebration takes the form of a shared family meal, with the lamb as its centerpiece. This is a communal gathering; no one is left out.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
Because of the significance of this ceremony, the selection, slaughter, and consumption of this lamb are carefully determined by ritual ordinance.
A one-year-old lamb is in its prime, a symbol of purity, vitality, and wholeness. It is a sacrificial offering to Yahweh, and, as such, it is to be the finest available (without blemish).
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
The delay allows time for preparation and reflection.
The communal nature of the event signifies collective responsibility and unity.
They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
This is an essential part of the rite — a sign of protection and deliverance from the plague that will strike Egypt.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Eating the sacrificial meal is also a necessary component of the rite. It is a mark of family unity and affirms covenant identity. This is later reflected in the communion (peace) offerings of Leviticus 3; 7:11-21.
The instructions for preparing and consuming the Passover lamb are highly specific; each detail carries both practical urgency and rich symbolism.
- The lamb is to be roasted—quicker than boiling and requiring no additional equipment—highlighting the need for haste.
- The bread is unleavened, as there is no time for the dough to rise.
- Bitter herbs recall the harshness of slavery and symbolize the suffering and poverty of the people.
- No other food accompanies the meal, emphasizing its singular focus as a ritual of deliverance and identity.
“This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD.
Even their posture and manner of dress are prescribed: they must be clad like those in flight. They are to be ready to move — this is not a leisurely meal but one of urgency and readiness.
“Loins girt” means that their tunics are pulled tight, with the ends tucked into the belt, to prevent any loose clothing from tripping them or otherwise hindering their movement.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first-born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt – I, the LORD!
God declares his power in judgment against Egypt and its gods. This isn’t just about freeing Israel — it’s a cosmic confrontation with Egypt’s gods and a declaration of God’s universal sovereignty.
In executing this judgment, God reveals his authority as universal, not limited by geography or function. This act profoundly challenges the polytheistic worldview of the time.
But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.
This is the origin of the name Passover: when God sees the blood on the doorposts and lintels, he will “pass over” those houses, sparing them.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
God commands that the Passover be remembered perpetually, instituting it as an annual act of communal worship and generational continuity.
But this is not merely a historical commemoration. The Hebrew understanding of memory, reflected in the original Hebrew term zikkaron and its Greek counterpart anámnēsis, conveys something far deeper than what English typically expresses. It is not simply recalling the past but actively making present the foundational act of deliverance.
In observing Passover, each generation of Israelites participates in the original Exodus, entering into its reality through ritual. This sacred remembrance unites them with the participants of that historic occasion and fosters a sense of collective identity, solidarity, and gratitude for God’s faithfulness.
2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Our second reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians contains the earliest written account of the institution of the Eucharist — recorded even before the Gospels.
Its connection to the first reading is profound: just as the Israelites were spared through the Passover sacrifice, Jesus instituted the Eucharist during a Passover meal, giving the feast its ultimate meaning:
“By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus’ passing over to his father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1340).
By placing these readings together, the Church invites us to see how the old Passover prefigures the new: Christ, our true Passover Lamb, offers us deliverance not from physical death, but from eternal separation from God. In him, the New Covenant is sealed, and the mystery of salvation is made present to us at the altar.
Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
The words “received” (paralambanō) and “handed on” (paradidōmi) are technical terms indicating the transmission of authoritative teaching, signaling that what follows is part of the apostolic Tradition. Paul uses the same phrasing in 1 Corinthians 15:3 when recounting the core message of the gospel.
Remember, Paul was a convert; he was not among The Twelve at the Last Supper. “I received from the Lord” is a technical expression that means “I received through that Tradition which goes back to the Lord himself.”
The Corinthians would have easily recognized this pattern of handing down teaching, which was common in both Jewish synagogues and Greek philosophical schools.
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
“The night he was handed over” was Holy Thursday, the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. Although the institution of the Eucharist is what is being highlighted here, this was also the night Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, experienced his agony in the garden, and was arrested.
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
The Greek word for “give thanks” is eucharistéō — where we get the word Eucharist.
In the Gospels, Jesus regularly offers blessings before meals (e.g., Matt. 14:19; 15:36; Luke 24:30), likely following Jewish traditions. Though the exact words aren’t recorded, he probably recited the Hamotzi, the customary blessing over bread: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
broke it
This gesture became part of the early Christian liturgy (“the breaking of the bread” in Acts 2:42).
and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Recall that a year before the Last Supper, Jesus had said “I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
Do this in remembrance of me.”
The command to repeat this act establishes the institution of the Eucharist as a perpetual memorial. As noted in our first reading, in Jewish tradition, “remembrance” (zikkaron) was not merely mental recollection but a memorial sacrifice that makes the participants present at the original event.
This is the covenant renewal ceremony for Christians, which is to last forever.
In the same way also the cup, after supper,
Jesus’ offering of the cup is parallel to the bread; the two form a unified act.
The fact that Jesus does this after supper points to the liturgical structure of the Passover meal, which included several cups. Many scholars believe this cup corresponds to the third cup of the Passover meal, traditionally known as the Cup of Blessing or Cup of Thanksgiving (kos shel berakhah in Hebrew; see also 1 Corinthians 10:16).
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
The cup is identified with the new covenant and with the blood of the Lord, which, like sacrificial blood, ratifies the covenant. This takes the new covenant theme from Jeremiah 31:31 and the blood ratification from the Jewish sacrificial system, incorporates them, reinterprets them, and fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31.
maybe even hard to comprehend in the moment.
The institution of the Eucharist is the only time in the New Testament when Jesus uses the term “covenant.” We’ve heard the words of the Eucharist so often that it’s easy to lose their shock value. But for the disciples, steeped in covenant theology and sacrificial rituals, this declaration would have been absolutely astonishing and difficult to comprehend.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Jesus repeats his charge to keep this as a memorial, emphasizing the importance of sacred participation in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice.
We must keep in mind that Jesus is God, and whatever God speaks, happens (Isaiah 55:10-11). During creation, when he said “Let there be light,” darkness disappeared. Therefore, when Jesus said “This is my body… This is my blood,” the bread and wine became his Precious Body and Precious Blood. Not symbols, but literally his body and blood.
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” [Saint Justin the Martyr (150 AD), First Apology 66]
“Do you wish to know how it is consecrated with heavenly words? Accept that the words are. The priest speaks. He says: Perform for us this oblation written, reasonable, acceptable, which is a figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. … Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but when the words of Christ come in, it is the Body of Christ. Finally, hear Him saying: ‘All of you take and eat of this; for this is My Body (Luke 22:19).’ And before the words of Christ the chalice is full of wine and water; but where the words of Christ have been operative it is made the Blood of Christ which redeems the people.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (390 AD), The Sacraments 4,5, 21-23]
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Jesus’ sharing of the blessed bread and cup was a prophetic action that anticipated his death.
The ritual reenactment of this supper would be a participation in his death and a sharing in the benefits that would accrue from it. In it, the risen exalted Lord continually gives what the dying Jesus gave, once and for all.
Paul’s word for “proclaim” (katangellete) carries a sense of public proclamation or heralding something with authority. Every time Christians celebrate the Eucharist, they declare the truth of Jesus’ sacrificial death to the world and each other. This proclamation — and the entire celebration of the Eucharist — points backward as a memorial (to Calvary) and looks forward in anticipation (to the Second Coming).
The Eucharist is not only a remembrance but a living contact with Jesus Christ.
Gospel – John 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
In our gospel reading, Jesus gives his disciples a powerful and intimate lesson in love. In a world where status and power often define greatness, Jesus stoops to wash his disciples’ feet, taking the posture of a servant.
This story is unique to John, although there are hints of similar actions in Luke 22:27.
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father.
John goes out of his way to point out that the events to follow — the Last Supper, the passion, the crucifixion — take place at Passover.
The celebration of the Jewish Passover, which commemorated Israel’s liberation from slavery through the blood of the lamb, provides the ideal framework for the institution of the new Christian Passover. In this new covenant, Jesus becomes the true Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice brings not just physical deliverance but spiritual freedom and eternal life.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
This is one of the most tender statements in John’s Gospel. Loving “to the end” could mean “to the utmost” or “to the last moment.” It emphasizes the completeness and depth of Christ’s love.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
We are reminded that betrayal is in the air. There’s a contrast between Jesus’ pure love and Judas’ corrupted heart.
The mention of the enemy frames this impending betrayal as part of a cosmic spiritual battle.
So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
Jesus acts with full knowledge of his divine identity and mission. This makes what he does next all the more radical — power is not used to dominate but to serve.
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
In first century Judea, washing feet was the job of the lowliest servant. It was dirty and demeaning.
For a rabbi — let alone the Son of God — to do this was unthinkable. This calls to mind Philippians 2:6-7: “Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…”
What looks like self-abasement by Jesus is really an expression of his love.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”
Peter voices what they all probably felt: disbelief at the role reversal.
Jesus’ response suggests that the full meaning of this act (and perhaps of the cross itself) will only be understood later. Spiritual insight is often retrospective.
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Peter protests in the same manner as he did on other occasions when he did not want to hear of Christ suffering (Matthew 8:32).
Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
The footwashing is a symbol of spiritual cleansing and union with Christ. It foreshadows the necessity of Jesus’ redemptive work.
To reject this symbolic action was to reject its profound theological significance. If Peter would not participate in Jesus’ self-emptying, he could not enjoy the blessings it would guarantee.
Several Church Fathers, including Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose, saw this exchange as having profound baptismal significance, emphasizing the necessity of spiritual cleansing through the sacrament and the continual process of sanctification.
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Peter responds by overreacting in the other direction.
This shows his eagerness but lack of understanding. He seems to think that the more he was washed, the more he would be cleansed; he does not grasp that this is a spiritual cleansing.
Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean,
The Greek word for “bathed” (louō) refers to a complete washing, often with ritual or ceremonial connotations. This word is used throughout the New Testament in reference to baptism and spiritual rebirth (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22).
The word used for “washed” (niptō) means a partial washing, like washing hands or feet, often for practical cleanliness.
Jesus seems to be drawing a deliberate distinction: someone who has already been fully bathed (via baptism or full purification) needs only to wash their feet (ongoing purification from daily sin or defilement).
but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
John emphasizes throughout his Gospel that Jesus is never taken by surprise. He is fully aware of Judas’s intentions, even as he kneels to wash his feet.
This shows Jesus’ divine knowledge and also his gracious humility: He serves even the one who will betray him.
This is one of many verses that underscore the deep tragedy of Judas:
- He was included in the inner circle.
- He was present at the Last Supper.
- He had his feet washed by the Lord.
- Yet his heart was closed.
This reinforces that external participation in the life of Christ is not the same as inner conversion.
So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
Earlier, Jesus had removed his outer garments in preparation for washing the apostles’ feet, symbolizing his willingness to lay aside his status and take on the role of a servant. Here, he puts them back on and resumes his place as teacher (rabbi) and Lord (master) of the group.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
Jesus explains the meaning of his gesture. This was not just a moment of symbolism — it’s a model of action for them to imitate.
Discipleship means following Christ’s way of humble service.
Connections and Themes
God’s Passover. At the heart of Holy Thursday lies a single, sweeping movement of God’s love — a Passover not just of a people from slavery to freedom, but of all humanity from death to life. In the first reading, we witness the beginning: God instructs his people to prepare for deliverance with the blood of a spotless lamb. This lamb marks their homes and their hearts, shielding them from destruction and marking the birth of a new covenant.
Centuries later, in an upper room, that covenant finds its fulfillment. Jesus, the true Lamb without blemish, shares a meal with his disciples — not merely remembering the first Passover, but transforming it. In the second reading, Saint Paul hands on what he himself received: that Jesus is the new and eternal sacrifice, whose blood now marks not doors, but souls, redeeming us not just from physical death but from sin itself.
And yet, the gospel takes us even deeper. As Jesus bends to wash his disciples’ feet, we see the true nature of God’s Passover: not only a crossing from slavery to freedom, but from pride to humility, from self-centeredness to self-giving love. His sacrifice is not only in his death but in every act of humility and love that leads up to it.
In every Eucharist, we enter this Passover anew. We eat the meal of freedom. We receive the Lamb who was slain. And we are sent forth to live as he lived: in humble service, bold love, and deep communion.
The Triduum. The Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil — is not a series of disconnected events. It is one continuous liturgy, one sweeping act of love, unfolding over three sacred days. We are not simply remembering history; we are entering into mystery. The mystery of a God who stoops low to wash feet, who stretches out His arms on the Cross, and who breaks the power of death with risen light.
This is the heart of our faith: a God who serves, suffers, and saves — and who invites us to do the same.
Sunday Readings 