Wednesday in Holy Week

 As a parish priest it was always a conundrum on what to do on Wednesday in Holy Week.  Tenebrae? healing service? A simple Eucharist?  Sure there are Scripture readings for the day which focus on Judas* betrayal (the John version where it seemed Jesus names it, then Judas follows suit, or the Matthew version where Judas has already made arrangements with the authorities)... Wednesday it seems, is for waiting, for preparing, for getting the drama set in place before the roller coaster ride of the Triduum.  Wednesday is for waiting.

There are so many ways

To walk through Wednesday;

So many ways

To wait for the Commandment:

The preliminary preparation

For the Passover meal;

The right food in the right place;

The betrayal set to go off as ordained,

The person named

Or found out.

It would be better if he had not been born,

But it seems then

Someone else

Would have done it.

So many ways

to prepare for the ritual slide

into the end,

So we can get to the beginning

Again.

So many ways to walk through Wednesday,

Ways to wait

In the dark,

Wait for the meal,

The washing of feet,

The washing of the altar

When everything is clear.

So many ways to wait

For the final dark,

The inevitable slide into the end.

We know the end.

Today

We wait.

Wednesday is for waiting.