Triduum the Lord’s Supper

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to follow Jesus on the journey of the Triduum (the three days) from the Lord’s Supper, through the Cross, to Resurrection.

Washing Feet

In the reading from the Book of Exodus, the First Passover is instituted.

* [12:1–20] This section, which interrupts the narrative of the exodus, contains later legislation concerning the celebration of Passover.

* [12:2] As if to affirm victory over Pharaoh and sovereignty over the Israelites, the Lord proclaims a new calendar for Israel. This month: Abib, the month of “ripe grain.” Cf. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Dt 16:1. It occurred near the vernal equinox, March–April. Later it was known by the Babylonian name of Nisan. Cf. Neh 2:1; Est 3:7. (Exodus, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

Psalm 116 is a thanksgiving for recovery from illness.

* [116:13] The cup of salvation: probably the libation of wine poured out in gratitude for rescue, cf. Ex 25:29; Nm 15:5, 7, 10.

* [116:15] Dear in the eyes of the LORD: the meaning is that the death of God’s faithful is grievous to God, not that God is pleased with the death, cf. Ps 72:14. In Wis 3:5–6, God accepts the death of the righteous as a sacrificial burnt offering. (Psalms, PSALM 116, n.d.)

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians describes the Institution of the Lord’s Supper.

* [11:23–25] This is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. The narrative emphasizes Jesus’ action of self-giving (expressed in the words over the bread and the cup) and his double command to repeat his own action. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus washes the Disciples’ Feet.

* [13:1–20] Washing of the disciples’ feet. This episode occurs in John at the place of the narration of the institution of the Eucharist in the synoptics. It may be a dramatization of Lk 22:27—“I am your servant.” It is presented as a “model” (“pattern”) of the crucifixion. It symbolizes cleansing from sin by sacrificial death. (John, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)

Vivian Amu is moved to ask several questions. Could Jesus be prompting us to humbly touch the messiest part of others and tend to them with care? Could Jesus be prompting us to allow others to forgive us and have the humility to receive that forgiveness? Could Jesus be prompting us to take off our garments of pride, properness, and status and just use the absorbent towel of love to soak up and forgive the mistakes and errors of those we encounter? Could Jesus be showing us what it takes to love without borders, conditions, or social acceptability? Could Jesus be showing us what it really takes to be in an authentic relationship with others?

None of us knows the exact day or time of our death, but what if we did? What would you spend time doing? Where would you want to be? Whom would you need to prepare for your passing? Whom would you need to forgive or embrace? Honestly, I don’t know how I would feel or what I would be doing, but I hope I would have the courage to tell those I love how I feel before it’s too late. I hope I will be able to share and remember moments that made us laugh and cry. I hope I will be able to do one of my favorite things, which is to cook a nice meal for those I enjoy very much. I hope I am able to comfort them and give them things of mine that I have kept over the years and held precious, just something visual to remember me. I hope I am able to spend much time with those who have been with me through the best times and worst times so that they know I loved them to the very end. I hope I am able to remove all the facades of pride, selfishness, and "okayness" that I wear as outer garments. I hope I will be able to allow myself a moment of vulnerability, which would mean having nothing but that which God brought me into this world with, an ability to let others love me, wash me, and nourish me like when I was born. I hope I will have the wisdom and grace to say to those I will leave behind:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”
Remember me.
My body and my blood are for you, you whom I love.
My daily sweat and grind were so I could spend more time with you.
I came from God, and I will return to God.
I will see you when we rise into life. (Amu, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ chose to be a servant who offered himself for us,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Even though the man Christ Jesus, in the form of God together with the Father with whom He is one God, accepts our sacrifice, nonetheless He has chosen in the form of a servant to be the sacrifice rather than accept it. Therefore, He is the priest Himself Who presents the offering, and He Himself is what is offered." (excerpt from City of God, 10,20) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 comments that at each Mass, and especially tonight on Holy Thursday, we  have the opportunity to commemorate this great act of love. Jesus is the Lamb who has poured out his own blood in order to give us a cleansed heart and new life in him. Each Mass makes present this sacrifice to us and offers us Christ himself in the Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Tonight, remember and celebrate what Jesus has done for you. Praise and thank him after Communion and after Mass in Adoration. Imagine all your sins being removed from you until you can’t see them anymore. Imagine the joy of heaven that awaits you—all because of Jesus’ blood. With confidence in its power, pray that each person in the world would experience that same cleansing and hope of new life that you have in Christ.

“Jesus, tonight, and at every Mass, I bow before you in thanksgiving and praise!” (Meditation on Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the connection of Passover history to ancient celebration of an agricultural feast that took on new meaning in the “passover” of the Israelites by the Angel of Death in the exodus from Egypt. In celebration of the Eucharist we pass beyond time and make present again, Jesus at the Lord’s Supper. Friar Jude reminds us of the Eucharist and forgiveness and our call to service as we die to self.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes the sign of Jonah as the pattern of death and resurrection that each of us must walk, as Jesus did.

Without the sign of Jonah—the pattern of new life only through death (“in the belly of the whale”)—Christianity remains a largely impotent ideology, another way to “win” instead of the pain of faith. Or it becomes a language of ascent instead of the treacherous journey of descent that characterizes Jonah, Jeremiah, Job, John the Baptizer, and Jesus. After Jesus, we Christians used the metaphor “the way of the cross,” though unfortunately, it became “what Jesus did to save us”—or a negative theology of atonement—instead of the necessary pattern that is redemptive for all of us. Jesus became the cosmic problem-solver instead of the teacher of the path. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate our journey with Jesus on our path with the Spirit to guide us in His Way.

References

Amu, V. (2023, April 6). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/040623.html 

Exodus, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12?1 

John, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13?1 

Meditation on Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/04/06/647725/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11?23 

Psalms, PSALM 116. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/116?12 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Necessary Pattern. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-necessary-pattern-2023-04-06/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=apr6 

Self Denial and Wickedness

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the memorial of the Dedication of Santa Maria Maggiore, alert us to ponder our response to the wickedness in the world as we renew our commitment to surrender to the Will of God.

Near Santa Maria Maggiore

The reading from the Prophet Nahum describes the destruction of the wicked city of Nineveh where ruin is imminent and Inevitable.

* [2:1] For never again will destroyers invade you: prophets are not always absolutely accurate in the things they foresee. Nineveh was destroyed, as Nahum expected, but Judah was later invaded by the Babylonians and (much later) by the Romans. The prophets were convinced that Israel held a key place in God’s plan and looked for the people to survive all catastrophes, always blessed by the Lord, though the manner was not always as they expected; the “fallen hut of David” was not rebuilt as Am 9:11 suggests, except in the coming of Jesus, and in a way far different than the prophet expected. Often the prophet speaks in hyperbole, as when Second Isaiah speaks of the restored Jerusalem being built with precious stones (Is 54:12) as a way of indicating a glorious future. (Nahum, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from the Book of Deuteronomy declares Israel’s ingratitude.

* [32:1–43] The whole song is a poetic sermon, having for its theme the Lord’s benefits to Israel (vv. 1–14) and Israel’s ingratitude and idolatry in turning to the gods of the nations; these sins will be punished by the nations themselves (vv. 15–29); in turn, the foolish pride of the nations will be punished, and the Lord’s honor will be vindicated (vv. 30–43). (Deuteronomy 32, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes the conditions of discipleship including the Cross and Self-Denial.

* [16:24–28] A readiness to follow Jesus even to giving up one’s life for him is the condition for true discipleship; this will be repaid by him at the final judgment.

* [16:24] Deny himself: to deny someone is to disown him (see Mt 10:33; 26:34–35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.

* [16:25] See notes on Mt 10:38, 39.

* [16:27] The parousia and final judgment are described in Mt 25:31 in terms almost identical with these.

* [16:28] Coming in his kingdom: since the kingdom of the Son of Man has been described as “the world” and Jesus’ sovereignty precedes his final coming in glory (Mt 13:38, 41), the coming in this verse is not the parousia as in the preceding but the manifestation of Jesus’ rule after his resurrection; see notes on Mt 13:38, 41. (Matthew, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kimberly Grassmeyer worried that any words she might write in response to the death and destruction noted in the first reading and response would be far from generous and uplifting.

Holding back, in frustration, serves no one - not others who need our gifts, and certainly not ourselves. Rather, giving of ourselves, in love to others, provides us the blessed opportunity to experience the fullest expression of ourselves. In that way, we live in Christ, and He in us. With this idea on my heart today, I simply offered my arm to an elderly woman shuffling into the Ace Hardware store that I was departing. She was surprised but pleased by the offer, then let me know I was a blessing to her. "Oh no, Ma'am: you are a blessing to me!" And she truly was. For just a brief moment, she gave me the opportunity to lose myself in Christ today, and I was grateful for it. Let's not let death win! Let's answer Christ's call, to 'lose' our lives for his sake. Amen. (Creighton's Online Ministries Home Page, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Walk as Christ has walked,” by Caesarius of Arles (470-543 AD).

"When the Lord tells us in the Gospel that anyone who wants to be his follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh; we think he is imposing a burden on us. But an order is no burden when it is given by one who helps in carrying it out. To what place are we to follow Christ if not where he has already gone? We know that he has risen and ascended into heaven; there, then, we must follow him. There is no cause for despair - by ourselves we can do nothing, but we have Christ's promise... One who claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as he walked. Would you follow Christ? Then be humble as he was humble. Do not scorn his lowliness if you want to reach his exaltation. Human sin made the road rough. Christ's resurrection leveled it. By passing over it himself, he transformed the narrowest of tracks into a royal highway. Two feet are needed to run along this highway; they are humility and charity. Everyone wants to get to the top - well, the first step to take is humility. Why take strides that are too big for you - do you want to fall instead of going up? Begin with the first step, humility, and you will already be climbing." (excerpt from SERMONS 159, 1.4-6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28 comments that God doesn’t usually ask for something earth-shattering. Maybe he wants us to give up some time catching up on the news in the morning so that you meet him in prayer first. Maybe he is asking us to refrain from office gossip and use that time to listen to a colleague who is going through a hard time.

Spend some time today thinking about what you might need to “lose” in order to find more of your life in Christ. Even if it seems difficult, remember whom you are giving it up for. You can trust this great wonder-working God. He won’t ask you to give up something without giving you something much better in return. He is a good God, and he wants nothing but good for you!

“Jesus, help me to let go of anything in my life that leads me away from you.” (Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the details of the writing of the minor prophet Nathum on the defeat of the Assyrians by the Babylonians. The ultimate price to be paid by Israelites for being in opposition to the Roman occupiers was death by crucifixion. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' connection to Daniel 7 and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah as He prepares to enter His Kingdom on Easter morning.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares about the freedom we gain from “letting go” of any false images of ourselves as totally innocent or pure. We find the courage to be who we are in God and to join God in the flow of grace.

Letting go is different than denying or repressing. To let go of it, we have to admit it. We have to own it. Letting go is different than turning it against our self. Letting go is different than projecting onto others. Letting go means that the denied, repressed, rejected parts of our own self which are nonetheless true are seen for what they are, but not turned against self or against others, so letting go is not denial. It’s not pretend. The religious word for letting go is the word “forgiveness.” This is the positive way to deal with our own woundedness. We see it and we hand it over to God. We hand it over to history. . . .

The mode of weeping, of crying, is different than fixing. It’s different than understanding. That’s why we often cry when we forgive. . . . When we can’t fix it, when we can’t explain it, when we can’t control it, when we can’t even understand it, we can only forgive it. Let go of it, weep over it. It’s a different mode of being. . . .

I can see why forgiveness is almost the heart of the matter, and Jesus’ prerequisite for being forgiven by God is simply to forgive one another. . . . Jesus said we will receive the forgiveness of God to the degree that we can be conduits of forgiveness for one another. In other words, forgiveness is of one piece. Those who give it can receive it. Those who receive it can give it. If we’re in the conduit of love, if we’re in the ocean of mercy, frankly, it’s the only thing that makes sense. (Rohr, n.d.)

The Holy Spirit invites us to let go of our attachments to self aggrandizing and satisfaction as we move to the humility and charity that emulates Jesus.

References

Creighton's Online Ministries Home Page. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html 

Deuteronomy 32. (n.d.). Deuteronomy. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/32?35 

Matthew, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/16?24 

Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/05/462321/ 

Nahum, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/nahum/2?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Letting Go of Our Innocence. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/letting-go-of-our-innocence-2022-08-05/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Whoever Loses His Life for My Sake Will Find It. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved August 5, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug5