Setting the bar

Today, the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to begin the Triduum a time when we join the psalmist to pray “I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116.17). These three days will be the opportunity for participation in a continuous liturgy which is rich in the icons and words to draw us together with Jesus at the Last Supper, in His Passion and with His Resurrection. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the text from the Book of Exodus where the liturgy of the celebration of Passover is prescribed. He comments that the Passover is celebrated, not as an historical event, but as a passing today into eternity. This is the experience of the Eucharistic Supper. We join with Jesus and experience the eternity, outside of temporal constraint. The words of the passage from the letter to the Corinthians describe Jesus action in the institution of the Eucharistic celebration. Friar Jude notes that in the Aramaic version of this account Jesus calls on those present to pray for Him. This may initially raise the question of why Jesus needs our prayer? (It is perhaps a question which Pope Francis raises when he so frequently asks for our prayer). The answer for this is in the nature of Divine Love which seeks intimate participation of Creator and creature. The Gospel of John is rich in texts to communicate the Divinity of Jesus as the One who is from the Father and is returning to the Father. These words, especially in Chapter 6 of this Gospel, stand in Friar Jude’s words, as the vertical dimension of the Gospel. The Evangelist chooses the account of the washing of the feet to set the bar for the horizontal dimension of the Good News, loving service of our brothers and sisters. This weekend, as Passover concludes and Easter unfolds, the runners in the Boston Marathon will “set the bar” for human courage and endeavour in their sport. Carol Zuegner writes of how Jesus sets the bar for our action in Love to be servant to others. Friar Jude underlines how part of this Love is to allow others to serve us.The reluctance of Peter to have his feet washed by his Teacher and Lord is a perfectly human response based in traditional respect. Jesus sets the bar for us to be able to give ourselves to others as opportunities for them to live as servants too.