A Holy Week Reflection

By Adrian W., Senior

On this year’s Maundy Thursday, it felt as though Jesus was right there with me, having supper.

The Thursday of Holy Week is often heavy, focused on the somber reality of the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane. At Wesley, our plans had shifted; because of the rain, we were having a "cookout" inside the building. I ended up arriving late to the event, but I felt a pull to stop by anyway—I wanted to make sure I took communion.

Usually, communion happens on Tuesdays during our devotional. Those moments are full of community and joy, often punctuated by a surprising amount of laughter. But when I arrived this time and Glen asked if I wanted to take the elements, the atmosphere was different. Just the two of us went down to the basement.

In that stillness, I found a profound sense of peace. As Glen read the scripture before serving me, I realized I was finally listening. I have always known the story—Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room, the bread and wine being passed, the confusion of the disciples as they struggled to grasp the weight of the moment. But this time, as Glen spoke, the perspective shifted.

I wasn’t just listening; I was a disciple.

My spiritual teacher was handing me a meal and acknowledging my place at the table, even as I felt unable to fully understand the gravity of being served the body and blood of Christ. It was a powerful reminder of grace: that even on the eve of His Son’s death, God remains present, extending love to us in the most ordinary spaces.

I have often physically felt the presence of God during the hardest chapters of my life, but here, He comforted me in the simple quiet of having supper with Him. I’d been carrying so much anxiety throughout Holy Week as my confirmation approached, but after that basement communion, the nerves vanished. I felt like God had already welcomed me as a disciple of the Church long before the ceremony began.

When I stood before everyone on Easter Sunday to be confirmed and take communion again, I felt that same weight and presence I’d found on Thursday.