Triduum

The Easter Triduum is upon us again. Celebrating these holy three days, we could begin to think that the Triduum is something that happened in the past (historically), something we have to look forward to in our future (our own death and resurrection), but does it really show up in our present?


The truth is, each and every day, we are living the Triduum. Each and every day we are suffering, dying and rising to new life. Maybe not as dramatically as Jesus… but pretty significant for us! Each and every day we are called to wrestle wit the things in our lives that are not life-giving, the things that keep us separated and apart from who we really are. The things that separate us from each and other and from God. We wrestle with our pride, our anger, our ego, our fear. And each and every day, we are called to let go of that stuff… to let go and in that letting go there is a death that occurs. In letting go of our fear in this one small area, we allow that fear to die… in order that we might live. We let go of our anger and allow our desire for revenge or resentment to die. We let go of our pride and let our own selfishness die. Not always a pretty process to be sure… but one that is necessary for each and every one of us. We carry an awful lot of stuff that doesn’t serve us well, but it’s stuff that we’ve carried for a long time… because… well… because we’ve carried it for a long time, so it must be important! Maybe… maybe not…

In wrestling with the stuff that is holding us back, that is preventing us from living our lives fully and freely, we get clear on what we need to let go… and in that letting go of the old, we create space within ourselves for something else to show up. If Jesus had held onto his old life, held onto his wishes and plans… there would have been no space for something else… for a new and glorious life to appear.

We too are called to create space in our lives, in our hearts, in our spirits for something else to show up. If we wrestle with resentment and anger, but can let go of that… we create space for something else to show up… maybe some forgiveness and compassion and love. If we wrestle wit hour prejudice and racism… but can let that go, we create space for something else to show up… maybe some acceptance and diversity.

I mean sure, we can all stay in the stuff that we’ve carried around for so long, the fear and the anger and the prejudice, but really… is that very fulfilling and life-giving?? Jesus could have hung around on this earth for a few more years and avoided the cross… but really, would that have been very fulfilling and life-giving?

So, I guess the question on this Easter weekend is… what are you wrestling with? What are you being called to let go of? What are you being called to die to? And what is within you that is crying… yearning… demanding to be born? And not just this weekend… but in the coming days and weeks. Oh sure, you can live your life the way you’ve always lived it… just take a look and see if that’s been working for you… Jesus took a leap into the unknown… are you ready and willing to do the same?