The disciple took her into his home.

Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Paschal Vigil
Easter Sunday

Today we continue our liturgical celebration of the Paschal Triduum - the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus - with the Commemoration of the Passion of the Lord.  We recall the Crucifixion of Jesus on Calvary. I am always struck by the simplicity of the service.  It begins and ends in silence.  The altar and sanctuary are bare, devoid of any unnecessary adornment.  There is typically very little music.  We simply gather around the cross to pray, to listen, and to be with each other as we remember one of the greatest mysteries of our faith.  It is this last point, that of coming together, that resonates with me this year.

In all honesty, the story we hear is not pleasant.  There is betrayal and denial, striking and scourging and torturing of a human person, an angry mob yelling, "Crucify him," humiliation, and death.  There is no denying that we hear a story of unspeakable brutality.  It is not surprising, then, that we need to come together to support each other and be with each other as we listen to the events of that dark day so many years ago.  But, I also think that we come together because this was Jesus' last great commandment and gift before dieing.  He reminds us of our need to be with and for each other, and he shows us the way to do it.  Once again, we are given an example to follow, and this brings us hope and leads us to community.

Nailed on the cross, Jesus sees his mother and the disciple whom he loved.  Looking at them, he says, "Woman, behold, your son,” and then, “Behold, your mother.”  In this moment, it is as if he is saying, "You are not alone.  Remember that you have each other."  This text seems to be more than just a devoted son making plans for the welfare of his mother.  Both Mary and the Beloved Disciple are given a mandate from Jesus on the cross to continue the proclamation of the Reign of God, and they are to undertake this mission together.  But, this directive is not only given to Mary and the Disciple; it is given to all of us.  In a symbolic way, all of us are there at Calvary when Jesus reminds us we are not alone.  First, we have Mary as our companion who will form us in her maternal womb as she once formed Jesus.  And then we also have each other.  The mission of Jesus cannot continue only through the Beloved Disciple, but through all of us who are beloved of God.  Together, as a community, we go out into the world, proclaiming the death of the Lord, but also proclaiming that death (as we know) will not have the final answer.  This is difficult work, but it is not our work to accomplish alone.  

Last weekend, on Palm Sunday, we heard another account of the Passion (from the Gospel of Luke).  In this account we hear that the crowd, the soldiers, and one of the thieves jeered at Jesus on the cross saying, "Save yourself!"  Yet, Jesus did not heed their suggestion.  He does not save himself, but in this act of ultimate love, he saves the world, he saves you and me.  As I reflected yesterday, Jesus forgot himself, emptied himself, took the lowest place  in order that we might have life.  He put our interests before his own so that we might live together in the Reign of God.  Once again, Jesus gives us an example to follow.  By becoming a servant for others, we become FOR the others.  We are able to bring life to them and also to find life for ourselves.  

Invitation, sharing, giving, and the Reign of God.  These are the backbones of community.  As we look upon the cross today, perhaps we can see community formed by the outstretched arms of Jesus, the loving embrace of the world, and the giving of self to others.  Maybe we can see empathy - Jesus taking on our sins and frailty, walking in our shoes and calling us to do the same with others.  We can see the tender gaze of Jesus' eyes on us, calling us into community with him, with his mother, and with each other.  

This great Paschal Triduum brings us to sadness and loneliness, but also to hope and community.  Let us pray that we might hear the words and see the example of Jesus on the cross.  To take each other into our homes.  To give our lives for each other.  To build community.  To find new life from death.

Blessings on your Triduum!


Ciao!


Description of photos: (from top to bottom) The Crucifixion by Niccolo dall'Arca in Bologna (I particularly like the representation of the carpenter on the far left who made the cross); Scene from the Gospel of John that is in the entryway of the community where I live; back of the ambo from the Church of St. Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo; Cross from the outdoor Church of St. Pio in San Giovanni Rotonodo.

Do you realize what I have done for you?

Holy Thursday
Good Friday
Paschal Vigil
Easter Sunday

This evening we begin the liturgical celebration of the Paschal Triduum - the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus - with the Mass of the Lord's Supper.  We recall the Last Supper that Jesus ate with his disciples.  And, in this liturgy, a strange thing happens.  When the Gospel is read we don't hear the expected words, "This is my body...This is my blood."  Instead, we listen as Jesus takes a basin or water, ties a towel around his waist, and washes the disciples' feet.  We hear the mandate of Jesus: "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."  We are given an example to follow, and this leads us to community.

Christian songwriter Michael Card, in his song The Basin and the Towel, makes this point in his refrain:

And the call is to community,
The impoverished power that sets the soul free.
In humility, to take the vow,
that day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

In the simple and humbling act of foot washing,  Jesus invites his disciples (and us) into community by showing them (and us) how to be a member of community.  It involves letting the self go and being for the other.  Jesus reverses the logic of his day (and our day).  He takes not the highest position, but the lowest.  He does not exalt himself, but empties himself.  He becomes the servant of the others, letting go of himself so as to be with the others in an intentional and authentic way.  With great humilty, Jesus shows us a supreme act of love - love not for himself but for his friends.

If you reread the passage you will see a succession of action verbs throughout the story (he rose, took off, tied, poured, washed, etc.)  The love that Jesus models is not one of lip-service or lofty platitudes.  It is, rather, an active love - one that "does" for the other.  This is how we build community, by emptying ourselves and actively loving those around us just as Jesus did at the Last Supper.  This impoverished power sets him free and sets all of us free.

In the end, this is what Eucharist is all about.  Jesus gives of himself to us.  It is an act of love that is a gift and a task.  His flesh and blood are gifts given to us for all time.  We truly receive Jesus in the communion ritual.  At the same time, we must be Eucharist.  That is, we must be in communion with our sisters and brothers.  At every mass, this is symbolically acted out as we, all together, approach the altar to receive the body and blood of Christ.  We join together in the same line and sing the same hymn.  We do not hoard the food, but share it.  We assent in our "Amen" to receive and to be "The Body of Christ" here and now.  As we do at Mass, so we must do in our families, schools, work places, communities, and world.  This is no easy task, but it is the task given to us by Jesus.  Day after day, we must take up the basin and the towel.

This great Paschal Triduum begins in a surprising way.  Let us pray that the God of surprises might help us to live and love as Jesus did.  To serve and not to be served.  To wash each others' feet.  To build community.  To find new life from death.

[I first heard Michael Cards' The Basin and the Towel while helping at a summer family retreat at the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May, NJ.  One evening, parents wash their childrens' feet in an act of reconciliation and love.  Click here for a link to the song.]

Blessings on your Triduum!

Ciao!