We are in the midst of Holy Week, standing on the brink of the Triduum, when we recall the last days of Jesus' life and his triumph over death. When I say that we "recall" these things, I don't me the way we "recall" that we need to call Aunt Tillie to wish her a happy birthday. This recollection is much more. We remember these things as though they have happened and are continuing to happen to us — as indeed they are.

In the Catholic Church, the liturgies of these three days are filled with ritual (yes, even more than usual!). We focus on simple actions of great meaning: washing feet, sharing a single loaf and a single cup, processing, waiting, watching, interceding, venerating, kindling fire, telling the story, washing, anointing, welcoming to table fellowship.

These days, these rituals, remind us as nothing else does that we are human beings — who encounter the divine not just through our minds, but through our senses and through our interactions with others. These days, these rituals leave an imprint on our bodies and on our collective memory. They remind us of who we are and who we are called to be.