Holy Thursday, 2014

JOHN 13:1-15

DID YOU EVER WONDER WHERE WE GOT THE TERM “FIRST CLASS?” IN THE OLDEN DAYS, PEOPLE TRAVELED LONG DISTANCES BY STAGE COACH. ROADS WEREN'T VERY GOOD AND WERE SUBJECT TO FALLEN TREES, MUD SLIDES, WASH OUTS, AND OTHER HAZARDS. IF YOU WANTED TO RIDE A STAGE COACH, YOU COULD BUY A FIRST CLASS, A SECOND CLASS, OR THIRD CLASS TICKET. IF THE STAGE COACH MET SOME OBSTACLE, FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS COULD REMAIN IN THEIR SEATS, CONTINUING WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING. SECOND CLASS PASSENGERS HAD TO GET OUT AND WALK AROUND THE BARRIER TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD THAT THE HORSES HAD TO PULL. THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS, THOUGH, HAD TO GET OUT AND HELP THE STAGE COACH DRIVER GET THE COACH PAST THE BARRIER. THAT MEANT PUSHING AND LIFTING – THEY HAD TO GET “DOWN AND DIRTY”. THAT'S WHERE WE GET THAT EXPRESSION AS WELL. NOW YOU'VE HAD YOUR LANGUAGE LESSON.

IN THE DAYS OF JESUS, IF YOU WERE RICH, YOU HAD A SLAVE WHO WOULD WASH YOUR FEET. SINCE PEOPLE WORE SANDALS, AND THE STREETS WERE NOT ONLY DIRTY BUT WERE OFTEN THE PLACE WHERE TRASH WAS THROWN AND SEWAGE WAS SPILLED, IT WAS A NECESSITY TO WASH OFF YOUR FEET ONCE IN A WHILE, CERTAINLY BEFORE SITTING DOWN TO A MEAL. IF YOU WEREN'T RICH, YOU'D WASH YOUR OWN FEET, OR PERHAPS TAKE TURNS WASHING EACH OTHER'S FEET. IF YOU WERE A DISCIPLE OF A TEACHER, THE DISCIPLE ALWAYS WASHED HIS TEACHER'S FEET. TONIGHT JESUS, WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN FIRST CLASS, DESCENDS TO THIRD CLASS. HE IS THE ONE WHO GETS DOWN AND DIRTY.

ON HOLY THURSDAY WE CELEBRATE THE INSTITUTION OF THE SACRAMENTAL PRIESTHOOD, WHICH JESUS GAVE US SO THAT HE WOULD BE WITH US AS PRIEST, AS PROPHET AND AS RULER. OUR PRIESTS ARE PRIESTS BECAUSE THEY STAND IN FOR CHRIST, DOING WHAT HE DID – OFFERING HIS BODY AND BLOOD TO THE FATHER. THEY ACT AS PROPHETS WHEN THEY PREACH AND WHEN THEY SPEAK TO US IN THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION; A PROPHET IS SOMEONE WHO POINTS US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEY ACT AS RULER BECAUSE THEY GATHER US INTO A COMMUNITY SO THAT WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE OF SERVICE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE WORLD – MORE THAN WE COULD HAVE IF WE EACH ACTED ON OUR OWN.

WE ALSO CELEBRATE THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST. IN EVERY MASS WE HEAR THOSE WORDS – HE TOOK BREAD, GAVE THANKS, BROKE IT, AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES.... NOTICE THOSE WORDS. WHAT JESUS DID WE ARE INVITED TO DO WITH EVERY EUCHARIST. WE TAKE OR RECEIVE NOURISHMENT FROM OUR GOD. THE ULTIMATE NOURISHMENT IS HIS BODY AND BLOOD, BUT THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHER WAYS WE RECEIVE WHAT GOD PUTS OUT THERE FOR US; WE NOURISH OUR BODIES WITH FOOD AND DRINK; WE NOURISH OUR MINDS IN OUR LEARNING, IN OUR ENTERTAINMENT; WE NOURISH OUR SOCIAL SELVES THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE GOD GIVES US; AND WE NOURISH OUR SPIRITUAL SELVES THROUGH OUR PRAYERS, OUR FASTING, OUR CHARITABLE GIVING. OUT OF GOD'S ABUNDANCE HE INVITES US TO TAKE.

WE GIVE THANKS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHEN I WAS YOUNG I DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT GIVING THANKS. OH, I PRAYED, BUT IT WAS USUALLY ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING. NOW THAT I'M OLD, I FIND MYSELF PRAYING MORE PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING. IF I ASK “WHAT SHOULD I BE THANKFUL FOR TODAY?” I NEVER HAVE TO THINK FOR VERY LONG. THE LIST IS ENDLESS. AND IT SEEMS SO MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE TO BEGIN MY PRAYERS BY GIVING THANKS RATHER THAN ASKING FOR MORE.

OUT OF THIS GRATITUDE, WE BREAK OR DIVIDE UP SOME OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, AND WE GIVE IT AWAY. MOST OF US HAVEN'T GOT A BIG PROBLEM WITH TAKING AND GIVING THANKS, BUT PERHAPS THE BREAKING AND THE GIVING AWAY COULD USE A LITTLE WORK.

WHY DID THE CHURCH SELECTED THIS READING ABOUT FOOT WASHING TO CELEBRATE THE DAY WHEN JESUS GAVE US THIS SACRAMENT, THIS INCREDIBLE MIRACLE BY WHICH HE CHOOSES TO FULFILL HIS PROMISE TO BE WITH US ALL DAYS EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD? WE COULD HAVE USED ANY OTHER OF THE FOUR GOSPELS, BECAUSE MARK, MATTHEW AND LUKE ALL CONTAIN A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THAT LAST SUPPER. IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, THOUGH, WE HAVE NO SUCH DESCRIPTION; INSTEAD WE HAVE THIS PORTRAIT OF JESUS GIVING HIMSELF TO HIS FRIENDS IN SERVICE.

THE OTHER GOSPEL WRITERS REMIND US THAT JESUS GAVE US HIS BODY AND BLOOD IN WHAT LOOKED LIKE BREAD AND WINE. THAT'S APPROPRIATE, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THAT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED TO LET THOSE FACTS IMPACT ON US SO THAT WE BECOME WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE. THE EUCHARIST, VATICAN II TELLS US, IS THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS. IT'S THE MAIN WAY GOD BECOMES ONE WITH US, AND FROM THIS FLOWS EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

BUT JOHN, THE WRITER OF THIS GOSPEL, REMINDS US THAT OUR EUCHARIST, OUR BECOMING ONE WITH CHRIST, ONLY BEGINS WHEN WE RECEIVE HIM IN HOLY COMMUNION. IT ISN'T UNTIL WE LEAVE OUR GATHERING, FILLED WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS FOR ALL GOD HAS GIVEN US, AND DETERMINED TO GO OUT AND BE OF SERVICE TO THOSE GOD CALLS US TO SERVE – IT ISN'T UNTIL WE WASH EACH OTHER'S FEET THAT OUR EUCHARIST IS COMPLETE.

IN A FEW MOMENTS FATHER WILL PERFORM A PROPHETIC ACTION. PRIESTS ARE, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE PROPHETS, AND PROPHETS DO THINGS TO TEACH US IN A MORE PROFOUND WAY THAN CAN BE DONE WITH MERE WORDS. AS HE PERFORMS THIS ACT OF LOVING SERVICE, THIS ACT IN WHICH HE AS OUR LEADER AND TEACHER HUMBLES HIMSELF TO DO THE WORK OF A SLAVE, LET US REMEMBER THAT JESUS TURNED EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN, AND SHOWED US THAT FOR A CHRISTIAN, THIRD CLASS IS THE REAL FIRST CLASS. AND WHILE FATHER IS WASHING FEET, LET US MEDITATE ON HOW WE CAN BE OF SERVICE, HOW WE CAN IMITATE OUR MASTER AND WASH THE FEET OF SOMEONE. THE WORD “EUCHARIST” MEANS “TO GIVE THANKS”. AND WE GIVE THANKS BEST WHEN WE GO OUT IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST AND SERVE OTHERS.

I RAN ACROSS A LITTLE POEM BY BARBARA GIBSON; I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR ON HOLY THURSDAY. IT'S CALLED,

JESUS AND THE DIRTY FEET

AS THEY SETTLE DOWN TO EAT

JESUS SEES THEIR DIRTY FEET.

JOHN, YOUR FEET ARE SOFT AND DUSTY.

PETER, YOURS ARE MIGHTY MUSTY.

ANDREW, YOURS ARE ROUGH AND CRUSTY.

IF IT TICKLES, DO NOT HOWL,

I WILL WIPE THEM WITH A TOWEL.

THOUGH THEY CRINGE TO SEE ME BOW,

I WILL WASH THEM ANYHOW.

FATHER SENT ME FROM ABOVE,

CALLING THEM TO SERVE AND LOVE.