HOLY THURSDAY
INTRODUCTION
The Sacramentary for Holy Thursday gives the homilist the
following directions in fine print: “The homily should explain the principal
mysteries which are commemorated in this Mass.”
It then lists the mysteries: 1) the institution of the Eucharist, 2) the institution of the priesthood, and 3)
Christ’s commandment of brotherly and sisterly love.”
So here's a homily on those 3 mysteries.
Three mysteries, three points, three everyday sacred
realities.
Three clear points: every homilist’s dream, better, every
congregation’s dream — that is, if the preacher doesn’t preach too long.
1) THE EUCHARIST
First of all the Eucharist. We know all about Eucharist.
We all know about Eucharist ever since we were tiny tots.
We
longed to sit at the family table ever since we were tiny kids. We wanted out
of the high chair and into a normal chair.
We were sick and tired of the bib.
Worse, we were sick and tired of being trapped in that stupid chair and being a
captive washee to our mother who came towards us with a dish rag — every meal —
that horrible dish rag — yuck — to wash around our mouth, so close to the nose,
a dish rag with its specific dish rag smell — ooh — yuck. Doesn’t every child
and every person around the world hate the smell of dish rags? It’s a smell — a
dislike smell - that
has a lifetime memory. Do mothers do that in memory of their mothers. Do this
in memory of me.
We wanted out of the high chair and into a low chair. That
would mean finally—freedom — and a napkin. I’ll do it myself mother. I’ll clean
my own face.
The family table — sitting with the big people — the dream —
even though it came with hundreds of commandments: break your bread, use a
fork, eat your vegetables or there will be no desert, cut your spaghetti, wipe
your mouth, say, “excuse me”, don’t play with your food, etc. etc. etc.
Eucharist. We all know about Eucharist. We all know the
importance of family dinners and the importance of eating out—whether it’s at
Red Lobster, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Charlie’s, or Sin Fronteras.
Meals together build
relationships together.
Meals together build community.
We know that. It was
drilled into us as kids. Keep that up and you’ll go straight up to bed without
the rest of your supper and that means, “No desert.”
So we know the connection
between food and communion with each other. It’s built into bodies. We want to
eat with so and so and we don’t want to eat with so and so, because we can’t
stomach her. We long for longer tables or a second table.
Eucharist. We all know about Eucharist. We all know the
importance of words — connecting - communication — communion with each other — What’s new?
What’s happening? It’s not good to eat alone. We need to not only eat with each
other. We also need to talk with each other — and what better ambiance than
food and the family table. We also listen need to listen to each other! We know
the difference between a great meal and a horrible meal. A key ingredient is whether there is great table talk or we're eating in Dullsville!
Holy Thursday: the Thanksgiving Meal of Jesus — the Last
Supper with his disciples, his closest friends — the hungering to be with
them, -
- needing their huddled support —
the hungering to celebrate the Passover together, bread and wine, the paschal
lamb, tradition. The full moon outside, the fullness of memories and music
inside.
The Lamb — representing all animals — serving us — dying for
us —giving their life — sacrificing their life — so that we might live.
Unless we have vegetarians with us....
Blood — what flows through all of us—connecting us — so
importantly. Blood is thicker than water. Family.
The Body: We vote with our presence. We vote with our feet.
We vote with our bodies. We bring our bodies to those rooms and those places
that matter to us: home, classrooms, chapels, hospices. Show me your schedule
and I’ll show you your friends, your values, your will. This is my body. This
is my blood. This is where I bring my body — home, ministry — to be with the
poor, to be with the friend, to be with the Lord!
Eucharist: we sum it all up in Eucharist —Thanksgiving —
each Eucharist is a Thanksgiving Meal. Holy Thursday is the big one — the big
feast — where we pass over into God in and through and with Christ. His blood
be upon us and upon our children. His blood be upon us and our doors and our
places of ministry and recreation. His blood be upon us and all the people
whose lives we touch throughout the year.
The Table: the place we gather at least 3 times a day to
eat—the place we gather each day to worship our God in Christ, with Christ,
through Christ — the place we hear News — Good News and Bad —sharing words and
food together. Eucharist! Last Supper. Each Supper.
2) PRIESTHOOD
Ever since the 1860’s the Church has been redefining,
refining, looking at herself as Church. The result was the half finished
statement at Vatican
I on the church because of the Italian revolution and then the two major
constitutions at Vatican II on the Church—that have been slowly filtering into
the mindset of the People of God—slowly.
Will we live to see the slow shifting in our church on who
is a priest, who can be priest—what is a priest, how are we all priests,
ministerial priesthood. Will it take the horror stories on the evening news and
in the morning papers to bring about dramatic changes in our church regarding
priesthood or will it be something we never dreamed of happening—being
“wordified” in a new way in Vatican III—sometime in the 21st
century?
Who knows? In the meanwhile Christ is the great High Priest—who
bridges us into the mystery of Our God, whom He called and we call “Abba”
“Father!”
In the meanwhile all of us are being called as Church to
fulfill our roles in the modern world as prophets, priests and
kings—prophetesses, priestesses and queens.
In the meantime the ministerial priesthood is being
challenged as it was challenged at Trent to reform, to
renewal, and to better service. Each Holy Thursday at the diocesan cathedral
our bishops call our priests to a renewal of dedication. Each Holy Thursday
night we pray to Jesus, our High Priest, for good priests. Let us pray for all
ministerial priests. Let us pray for each other.
3) THE NEW
COMMANDMENT
And third and lastly, on this day, we hear once again
Christ’s new commandment to love one another as he has loved us. We are called
to wash each other’s feet.
Jesus makes an abstraction “love”, into a distraction —
“washing feet”.
It’s easy to talk about love. The song says, “Show me!” So
Jesus showed us how to love one another. Wash each other’s feet. If that’s all
people remember from the Holy Thursday Liturgy, what a great distraction. If
people then go home and actually love one another in the specific here and nows
of everyday life, praise God.
The new commandment to love is specific. It’s down to earth.
It’s skin touching. It’s water bearing. It’s putting one’s life on the line—in
the car or in the subway or on the pavement and going over to visit the sick in
the hospital or the hospice. It’s taking time away from the TV or interfacing with
a computer screen and interfacing with the other people we live with. To turn
off the television and actually ask those we live with, “How was your day?” and
be willing to put our body—our ears on the line and to actually hear the other
respond to our question: “How was your day? How was your life?” To die to self
so that the other can rise by our affirming presence of their work that day
or their visit to a senile father that
weekend. That’s real! That’s as real as washing one another’s feet. “Could you
not watch and listen to me for one hour—or even one minute? I just had a tough
weekend. My mom is finding it very difficult dealing with my dad.”
Wasn’t that the Last Supper? At other meals they asked Jesus
what his sermons and his parables were all about. At this Last Meal, this Last
Supper, he told them what his life was all about: love and service and washing
each others feet.
CONCLUSION
And we go forth and do all this in memory of him—eating
bread and drinking wine, praying to our God for our world—and washing each
other’s feet.
Do this in memory of me.
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Painting on top: The Last Supper by Fritz von Uhde [1886]
