Holy Thursday 2007

HOLY THURSDAY  -  2007

 

Cardinal Jean Danielou, in his book entitled “Prayer. The mission of the church”, states that the basic reality of life centres around LOVE.   He writes: “ because of the relationship of persons that exists within God, and then between God and us, and finally among us….all things come down to the following three realities……. ‘God is love; God loves US (and we are in a relation of love with God); and finally, we must love one another, lay down our lives for each other.  If we base our lives on these three realities, they acquire infinite meaning; and whatever ups-and-downs in life may arise, we will always be encompassed by love.”

 

Tonight’s gospel reading is all about love….. love is GIVEN, LOVE RECEIVED; LOVE IS ESTABLISHED AND ENJOINED…  

 

ON THE EVE of his passion and death, Jesus did what every human being does, on the point of death… he zeroes in on what is ESSENTIAL in life. One could never improve on what he did and said and gave us on that tragic evening.   ( taken from 365 days with the lord)

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There is something very beautiful about the three holy days………. of Holy Thursday…. Good Friday and Holy Saturday….   known as the Sacred Triduum……

 

Our liturgy over these three days shows this most profoundly….. these three ceremonies are not three distinct liturgies……….. they are the one seamless garment of a single liturgy…   extended and stretched through time over three days…..

 

this is shown by the fact that this ceremony tonight does not have a specific ending…(no final blessing…not the usual sign of the cross at the end… no words of dismissal ………but rather… it simply trails off into silent vigil…..  only to softly Fade back up at ….. tomorrows good Friday ceremony… continuing where it leave off tonight…….…without any real introduction….no defined greeting…..   since it is merely a continuation of what we begin tonight….  and it again trails off into expectant silence….  only to re-gather without any specific beginning on Holy Saturday night……     one single liturgy… over three days……   it is unique in the church’s calendar… and rightly so……

 

and so to tonight’s readings………TIME AND TIME AGAIN…..  WE HEAR JESUS OFFERING A RADICALLY DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF POWER….  OF AUTHORITY….. OR KINGSHIP…  OR VICTORY…. OR DOMINION……………OF LEADERSHIP……..   ….  IT STANDS IN DIRECT CONTRAST WITH THE WIDER WORLD’S STANDARD DEFINTION OF SUCH WORDS…..

 

My question tonight is this……..   Do you ever think the world will buy it?...........  the definition for these things…..   as Jesus defined them…..  evoked laughter and scorn in Jesus time…. and even more so today……

 

just try and tell the super powers that true power is revealed in weakness and in vulnerability……….   if we are not laughed at….  it may cause a reaction of fear……..  

 

the truth is….  we are all vulnerable….. we are all weakm deep down…….  and this is at the heart of Jesus message…. he is only saying what is profoundly true…. those who use power in terms of domination and oppression…   will do so very effectively…. very powerfully……    they may go through their whole lives showing that no one is stronger than they…..but underneath… they are still vulnerable….. still ever-vigilant against surprise assailants……..   because they are not and cannot be inherently secure…..    because they base their lives and their values on things that ultimately do not last…..

 

Jesus does not say that POWER and domination and oppressive tactics is not a seductive and attractive option…….   he faced the temptation to use force to do good…. but realized that this was a lie that must be resisted……… 

 

Jesus took all his energy and put it into the areas that were thoroughly authentic……..  he stood entirely and without armour…. on the truth of his relationship with God….. on the validity of his good news message…. and the absolute power of love, of graciousness, or forgiveness and of inclusion… and stood by that right to the end……. (and beyond)……  and it proved to be authentic….

 

  he showed that power…. is always a relationship….. that true leadership is about service…….  and that true community must be about including all others, and not about segregation and separation and silencing of minority voices out of fear……

 

Jesus established a kingdom where there is an open table …where all are welcome…..  this is a great mystery thought,   ..  an open table does not mean anything goes…..   there are values to be shared here… that must be shared by all…….   but there is also openness, dialogue, forgiveness, honesty, charitability, graciousness and inclusion…….    these are not just the table manners expected….but somehow these values become the way of living in everyday life as well…….  

 

and again…  I cannot avoid coming back to the theme that echoes in my head every year…..    the image of a table where everyone sits down…  is an image of reconciliation…  it is impossible to sit down and share a meal with someone at the saem table when we are fighting…..  when we are alienated… and at war….. to sit down and share a meal…   not only share food…   requires of each of us a melting of grudges…. and a putting aside of hurts…….   to eat as equals…who share a common space, a common condition… and a common roof…….

 

as we allow Jesus, the one who comes among us not as master, but as friend….. and who is amongst us as one who serves…… to wash our feet as a sign of service and humility……   let us affirm the Christian definition of some very special words….

 POWER….  (a respectful relationship)……OF AUTHORITY (truth and integrity, respect and mutuality)….. OR KINGSHIP…  and leadership (service, love),……VICTORY…  (through sacrifice and love)……. OR DOMINION…… (by graciousness and gentleness)…..