Peter said to him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me (John 13:8). Easter Triduum April 8, 2012
Easter Sunday Readings First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43 34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 or I Corinthians 5:6-8 1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 6 Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Gospel Reading: John 20:1-9 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes. Homily Who is the other disciple who is never identified in the 4 th Gospel Reading? This person is identified as a male in the reading, but there has been speculation as to both gender and identity. The other disciple at first outran Peter seems to defer to Simon Peter. Yet, Peter is also described as following the other disciple. The other disciple followed, saw, believed, yet they did not understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. They do not understand. G. K. Chesterton once said that the worst temptation of theology is to oversimplify, ignore, reduce or otherwise get rid of whatever cannot be conceptualized by the critical mind. In other words, if it cannot be reduced to a sequential, linear, logical, concrete left-brain experience, then it should be discarded. Perhaps, instead, we should admit that some things are beyond us mysteries. Our talk of the sacred and the infinite is very limited. This doesn t mean that there isn t an underlying reality to them, but our language about those ineffable realities, including the language of scripture, creeds, and dogmas, can be understood on multiple levels. Language about spiritual experience puts us in touch with something that stretches our intellect, heart, and soul beyond their common level of awareness. We may be in
tension between taking that language too literally or throwing it away because it seems so inadequate. Even the best of theology does not actually give us a picture of God, or explain some spiritual transactions. The best theology is written by those who have actually experienced deeper spiritual reality, who can give us a glimmer, an inkling. But, alas, the worst theology is written by those who manufacture explanations that bear no resemblance to spiritual reality, whose airtight, logical presumptions of knowledge are traps. We are finite and our finite minds cannot capture these mysteries. We are lucky if we can catch a brief fleeting glimpse. In the East, there seems to be less reliance upon theology and more reliance upon symbols, icons, and gestures which may open some doors. Years ago, in moving from protestant conceptualizations of the Holy to more catholic ones, I began to realize how limited we are if we think that verbal concepts will capture spiritual experiences. I learned about incense, iconography, liturgy, gesture, sacraments, film, music, which aid in transcending some of the limitations of words. These helped to reduce some of the suffering I experienced and led to deeper layers of spiritual understanding. But that does not make me superior or better than the next person. Entering into mystical experience is no guarantee of achieving holiness. In some strange way, it seems that it is only in suffering that we may find a level of understanding that actually makes a difference in our behavior toward others and ourselves. Sometime, it is only in suffering that we are truly able to transcend our own stuck places. I have also learned that even in Holy Places, we should not always rely upon some of those who seemingly have great authority or who have achieved insight into spiritual realities that transcend our common every day level of awareness. All of us are so vulnerable to failures, harming others and ourselves, and engaging in unspeakable atrocities. It is here that the Cross of Jesus becomes so important. A Bishop in Syria about 400 CE, Severian of Gabala wrote about Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, contrasting between the ordinary-seeming events and a larger perspective of them. He rose from the table, as Scripture says. He who is clothed in light as in a robe was clad in a cloak; he who wraps the heavens in clouds wrapped round himself a towel; he who pours the water into the rivers and pools tipped some water into a basin. And he before whom every knee bends in heaven and on earth and under the earth, knelt to wash the feet of his disciples. The Lord of all creation washed his disciples feet! This was not an affront to his dignity, but a demonstration of his boundless love for us. 1 How beautiful how poetic are Severian s words! 1 Homily on the Washing of the Feet. In A. Wenger, Revue des Etudes Byzantines, 227-229.
Similarly, another early church Father in the same era, John Chrysostom 2 wrote: The teaching of scripture is that Jesus must rise from the dead. How shall I recount for you these hidden realities or proclaim what surpasses every word and concept? How shall I lay open before you the mystery of the Lord s resurrection, the saving sign of his cross and of his three days death. For each and every event that happened to our Savior is an outward sign of the mystery of our redemption. Come, see the place where he lay. Come, see the place where the outward signs of your own resurrection are portrayed, where death lies entombed. Come, see the place where the unsown seed of mortality has brought forth a rich harvest of immortality. The Lord himself washes away their stains with streams of grace and anoints those who have been reborn with the precious ointment of the Spirit. The Lord becomes not only the one who feeds them, but also their very food; to his own servant he offers the daily largess of spiritual food. To all the faithful he says, Take and eat the bread from heaven; receive from my side the spring of water, ever flowing and never dried up. Let those who are hungry have their fill; let those who are thirsty drink the wine that brings true fulfillment and salvation. O Christ our God, you alone are the good Lord and lover of all; to you, with the Father of all purity and the life-giving Spirit belong the power and the glory, now and always and for endless ages. Amen. So, we see, two men who are now regarded as fathers of the church were able to see into the wonder and mysticism of ordinary events and to see the miraculous, the holy, the significance of seemingly mundane exchanges. Yet they were unable to see how they spiritually murdered one another. Severian was at one time mentored by John, and went on to destroy him. The church is replete with thousands of examples of an isolated spirituality which seeks its own higher self, without actually living the Gospel of Christ. 2 Homily on Holy Saturday, 10-11, 12; PG 88, 1859-1866. John Chrysostom (c.347-407) was ordained a deacon in Antioche in 381 and priest in 386. In 397 he became the Patriarch of Constantinople where his efforts toward reform of clergy and the court led to exile in 404, and his death due to the hardships imposed on him. Severian was at first a protégé of, but later on, a strong opponent of St. John Chrysostom and took part in the intrigues leading to his condemnation by the Synod of Oak, and reportedly responsible for his exile which resulted in his death.
I think that Fr. Richard Rohr has captured the problem that is common to all of us, saint and sinner alike: You alone, Lord Jesus, refused to be crucifier, even at the cost of being crucified. You never play the victim, you never ask for vengeance, but you only breathe forgiveness. While we, on this fearful earth, murder, mistrust, attack and hate. Now I see that it is not you that humanity hates; we hate ourselves, but mistakenly kill you. I must stop crucifying your blessed flesh on this earth and in my brothers and sisters, and in every form of life, whether innocent or guilty, worthy or unworthy. We are all your blessed Body, and you have always loved me precisely in my unworthiness. How can I not do the same to others? From Fr. Richard Rohr, Hope Against Darkness, p. 38
Further Holy Week Meditations: I enclose these taken from the St. Louis University Liturgy website: Thursday I have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another s feet. Jesus commenced to wash his disciples feet. Teacher, help us learn that the Infinite, all-powerful God, inexhaustible love, is at heart, a servant of all. Let us not ignore or just tolerate our neighbors. Let us wash, like you, their feet and give to them their food and drink. Amen.
Friday Behold the man. Led to slaughter bearing our torment, wearing our guilt, being crushed for our sins. Behold the Son of God In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. In tangled thorns he emptied himself, pouring his grace on all of us.
Easter Vigil He is not here; for he has been raised as he said. No fright No soldiers No boulder could stop them. These women stayed with Jesus to the end. Daybreak brought them back to angels who said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is no longer in the tomb. Christ, let us seek you among the most living of all, in the tomb or in the tiny manger. Let nothing ever stop us. Amen.
Easter Sunday Peter proceeded to speak and said: You know what has happened. Night surrendered to day, dark to light, fear to courage, death to resurrection. Peter, who was afraid to admit he knew the Lord, now fearless, proclaims you boldly, across the barren hills, each place he goes in every action he takes. Lord, Give us your Spirit too, give us your life as you gave it to Peter. Let us show your story with our lives. Amen. Prayers only. Copyright 2011, The Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use. P.S.: The other disciple is you!