The sharpest contrast

That's what happens during the Easter Triduum, starting with the evening Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday through Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday when we celebrate the blessed resurrection of Christ.

It may look like four days, but it's actually just three-thus the word, Triduum-because the evening Mass of Holy Thursday is liturgically part not only of the following day, Good Friday, but also of the whole set of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which somehow are considered as just one organic celebration.

In fact, the evening Mass of the Last Supper of Christ on Holy Thursday, when the sacrament of Holy Eucharist was instituted, somehow captures, summarizes and perpetuates the events of Good Friday to Easter Sunday, that is, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ our Savior, our re-creator.

Now that we are approaching the celebration of the International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu in January next year, it might be good to remind ourselves of this distinctive character of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. It's to bring to the present the most important event that took place in the past, that is, Christ's passion, death and resurrection, that consummate Christ's redemptive work for us.

Anyway, it's in this Easter Triduum that we experience the sharpest, severest contrast that we can ever have, for in it we see the very worst form of evil and malice, the killing of God in Christ, and the most sublime form of goodness, love and mercy of God by way of the resurrection of Christ.

The extremes and the ultimate of good and evil are played out liturgically on these days. It's on this occasion that we can plumb the depths of our sin and malice as well as climb the heights of God's love for us, returning and enriching our lost dignity as his image and likeness, and reclaiming us as his most beloved children.

It is hoped, of course, that we draw the appropriate sentiments and resolutions from this celebration so that we can correspond properly to both the reality of our sinfulness and God's endless love and mercy.

We should try our best to avoid sin, since even the slightest form of sin can already reprise Christ's passion and death. Yes, even if the worst evil has already taken place, that is, the killing of God in Christ, that evil continues to take place everytime we commit sin.

We have to learn how to handle our weaknesses and the many temptations around. We have to learn and master the art of spiritual combat, having the appropriate motives, developing the appropriate skills, and using the appropriate means.

And when one way or another we manage to fall, since falling into sin is also a mystery beyond our comprehension, let's be quick to ask for forgiveness and to atone and repair for whatever damage our mistakes and sins may cause. This should be an ongoing affair.

Let's keep alive our spirit of penance, regularly making an examination of conscience so we can monitor the status of our  spiritual life, and frequently going to confession, that wonderful tribunal of divine justice and mercy where our sins are readily forgiven, our weaknesses and other spiritual and moral ailments healed or at least contained.

Let's be quick to take up the proper plans and resolutions to cope with the dangers that our soul will meet in this life.

Let's follow Christ more closely, making our own his very sentiments of love and mercy for all of us. That is to say, that we, like Christ, should be willing to bear the sinfulness of all of us, all the way to the Cross. Christ himself said so: "If anyone has the mind to follow me, he has to deny himself, carry the cross and follow me." (Mk 8,34)

This is always possible and doable, if we only hurdle the most fundamental choice we have to make and to stick to it, that is, to choose God over us. We choose God when we put all our mind and heart into God's word, ways and will. Our problem is that many times, we choose our words, ways and will instead.

That's why we are always reminded to die to ourselves to be able to rise with Christ, precisely the very message of the Easter Triduum, echoing the words of St. Paul: "If we die with Christ, we also will rise with him."

Let's hope that from this sharpest contrast we see during this Easter Triduum, we emerge stronger with God's grace and our all-out effort.

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