Friday, March 29, 2013

Good Friday

(Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16.5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42)

The Gospel of John features encounters with Jesus.  It tells of characters like Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and Mary Magdalena revealing to Jesus the depths of their hearts and receiving from him unconditional acceptance.  But not everyone who encounters Jesus responds with faith.  The paralytic whom Jesus heals at the pool of Bethesda, for example, never enters into a relationship with him.  In the passage we just read it is Pilate’s turn to encounter Jesus.  The drama of their meeting is intense.  First-time listeners to this passion account may be asking themselves whether Pilate will say “yes” to him.

The scene opens as a typical day in the life of a Roman governor.  Jesus is escorted within Pilate’s residence for a judicial hearing.  Meanwhile Pilate steps outside for the Jews’ accusation against Jesus.  He comes back to ask Jesus whether it is true: “Are you,” he says, “the king of the Jews?” Jesus' reply, “Do you say this on your own…” gives Pilate opportunity to declare himself for Jesus, but Pilate sneers at it.  Then Jesus explains that indeed he is a king whose dominion is over those who recognize the truth of his being sent from God. Pilate cynically responds, “What is truth?”  Aware that Jesus is innocent, Pilate goes outside to negotiate with the Jews, but they demand his crucifixion.  Their comment that Jesus “made himself Son of God” frightens Pilate thinking that Jesus may be who he says he is.  Jesus wins Pilate’s admiration, but when he repeats to the Jews his intention to release Jesus, they bully him by saying that such an act would make him no friend of the emperor.  Pilate capitulates to expediency and decides to have Jesus crucified.

God calls everyone to a personal relationship with Him through Jesus.  Contemporary times incline many to cynically reject the possibility.  They bully others into fearing that having such a relationship will deprive them of pleasure, prestige, or power.  We must rise up against these prejudices with the realization that a positive relationship with Jesus enables us to be all that we can be.  His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead give us an insight into eternal life.  That life – which the Greek of John’s describes as zoe, not the ordinary bios, is the love of the Trinity, a community of radical self-giving and receiving.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Holy Thursday

(Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15)

The man telephoned the priest.  He said he needed help.  Then he told a pitiable story of being seduced by his mother as a boy and repeatedly victimized by men as an adult.  The priest listened to the man at length but knew that his situation was beyond any help the priest could offer.  Indeed, through consultation it became evident that the call was probably a ruse to inveigle the priest in sexual perversion.  This abysmal situation – child abuse, sexual predation, and manipulation -- describes the vortex of sin from which God liberates humanity.

Israel’s liberation from bondage in Egypt, catalyzed by the dramatic event related in the reading from Exodus this evening, serves as a prototype for God’s liberation of humanity from sin.  The blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses saves the Israelites from the plague that forces the Egyptians to let them go free.  Similarly the blood of Christ saves Christians by forgiving their sins as the reading from First Corinthians signals.  But Christian liberation, of course, is by definition not a license to do what one wishes.  Just as Jesus in the gospel, Christians are freed from sin in order to serve one another in love.

The Holy Thursday liturgy packs together the great themes of the Paschal mystery.  These will be drawn out and meditated upon at length during the next three days.  Friday, in the reading of the passion according to John, Christ is presented as the liberating Lamb of God.  Saturday the story of human sin is delineated through a series of Old Testament readings.  Then the victory is proclaimed with the gospel of the Easter Vigil service and all the readings of Sunday’s masses.  We should note the seriousness of these liturgies.  They are hardly meant to be sanctimonious acts.  Rather, they re-create the events that have spared us of that vortex of sin.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Wednesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 50:4-9a; Matthew 26:14-25)

Humiliation seldom sinks lower than to be spit upon in the face.  Spittle may transmit infectious germs.  More than that, spitting is a universal sign of contempt.  The Book of Deuteronomy instructs a widow whose brother-in-law will not fulfill his obligation to marry her for the sake of his dead brother to “spit in his face” (Deut. 25:9).  The action is meant to show that the man is like selfish, low-lying scum. 

In the first reading today the Suffering Servant speaks of giving his face to be spit upon.  Conscious of how Jesus fulfills the prophecy of this servant, Matthew’s passion narrative underscores how both Jews and Romans spit upon him.  Although the gospel does not accuse Judas of spitting in Jesus’ face, it plainly shows that Judas’ behavior is tantamount to such disgrace.  He insults Jesus by calling him “Rabbi,” a title which Jesus expressly forbade his followers to use.  More gravely, he hands Jesus over to his enemies for silver. 

Jesus’ humiliation in Matthew’s passion narrative is part of the price that he pays for human disobedience.  Only perfect obedience could heal the fracture between God and humanity related in the story of Adam and Eve’s sin and reflected in our sins.  Jesus carries out God’s will – that he be handed over to his enemies -- which causes him to suffer extreme humiliation, intense pain, and finally brutal death.  For this sacrifice he deserves more than our thanks and admiration.  He merits our imitation and allegiance.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Tuesday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 49:1-6; John 13:21-33.36-38)

Lists of Jesus’ disciples in the New Testament invariably name Peter at the head and Judas at the tail.  The reason for these placements is obvious: Peter acts as Jesus’ vicar while Judas betrays him.  Some believe that the two once vied for honor.  Judas, the treasurer of Jesus’ band, obviously merits some trust, and Peter always speaks for the group.  Today’s gospel, however, casts a murky hew on both.

Jesus predicts that both men will sin against him.  Although a few commentators equate their crimes, Judas’ is unquestionably more odious.  He turns Jesus over to his enemies with premeditation and for money.  In contrast, Peter denies Jesus out of spontaneous fear for his life.  But the difference between the two men is better perceived in their coming to awareness of their faults.  Crying in remorse, Peter will overcome his shame to rejoin Jesus’ discipleship.  Although Judas in different versions of the gospel also mourns his sin, he lacks the humility to acknowledge his sin before the community.

Peter’s example should inspire us all.  Possessive of a fallen nature, we will at times fail to clear the high bar Jesus has set.  But this fact does not exclude us of his friendship if we confess our failure and rejoin his following to try again.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Monday of Holy Week

(Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11)

People the world over – Protestants as well as Catholics and, no doubt, Jews, Muslims, even Communists – were amazed by the initial gestures of the new pope.  First, he takes the name of Francis recalling il poverello, the little poor man.  Then he appeared without the illustrious red cape reserved for the Bishop of Rome.  Furthermore, he told the rich of Argentina thinking of attending his inauguration that it would be better if they used the money for such a long trip for relief to the poor.  Pope Francis has evidently taken to heart what the evangelist John teaches in today’s gospel narrative.

Judas grumbles that the perfume which Mary uses to anoint Jesus’ feet could have been sold for the benefit of the poor.  He is not really concerned about the poor but about money. Mary, in fact, instinctively recognizes the truth of the situation.  Jesus, the Son of God, has made himself poor for the enrichment of the whole world.  Giving him due worship, we will turn to his impoverished brothers and sisters in love.

Who are the poor?  In a sense all humans qualify for the label because we are born without a firm relationship with God.  We must see Christ in one another without exception.  But there still are those who lack the physical resources to develop their human potential.  These deserve particular attention because in the hardships they experience, they will continually have difficulty giving praise to God.