Ritual vs. Real

Gospel: John 13: 1-15

The four Gospels provide us with two important actions that take place this night of Holy Thursday.  The first is the celebration of the Passover meal and Jesus offering bread and wine as his body and blood, urging the disciples to do this in remembrance of him.  The second is Jesus stooping down to wash the feet of the disciples, an action not even a slave would perform.  In performing this action, Jesus tells the disciples that as he has done so also we must do.

Whereupon Christians turned both events into ritual actions performed in sanitary, antiseptic conditions.  Rather than actually becoming an offering of our life for the sake of others, in nourishing people at table, we instead made what Jesus did a mere vicarious ritual.  We did the same to the action of the washing of feet, here only doing this ritual once a year.  It is much easier to do this than actually wash the feet of other people, to care for others in the most base needs people have.  

So, as we gather to reenact these rituals yet again may we be reminded that the rituals are not the real, that what Jesus asks of us is to live and die as he did, to become a humble servant of others as he did.  May these rituals actually spur us to such action.  May they not be empty shows and displays devoid of any real substance.  May we truly become the body and blood of Christ on earth, taking up a towel and basin to serve a starving world in need of mercy and love. 

A Mirrored Window

Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

One of you will betray me.  Surely it is not I, Lord, they all say.  I will lay down my life for you, Lord.  Leader of the band, this very night you will deny me three times.  The rest of you will abandon me.  Christianity loves to be about creeds, professions of faith, testimonials, and "witnessing."  All of it is performative egoism much like these statements of the disciples at the Last Supper.  It is all talk and bluster with little substance and weight.  

The Holy Week readings are designed to be like looking into a mirrored window.  We see the scene itself, but we also see ourselves in that very scene.  Every disciples in that room failed.  They all gave their testimonials and then went out to do something very different than what they claimed to be.  So it is with us disciples of today.  We claim to follow the Lord, yet deny him in the person of our neighbor each day - cheering on warfare, maligning the poor, abusing the immigrant, migrant, and refugee.  

The drama of Holy Week is one we are to take in with utter silence, for the drama is an indictment on ourselves as disciples as much as it is for the original group of followers.  The readings and rituals are designed to instill deep humility and introspection within us so that when we lie prostrate or kneel at the beginning of the Good Friday service we are truly humbled and chastened.  Yet, we are invited to rise again with the Lord and keep trying to imitate him on the Way to the reign of God. 

Faith or Bravado?

Gospel: John 13: 21-33, 36-38

Today's Gospel portion demonstrates the illusions of faith we so often carry with us and that need removal in our lives.  We begin with the statement of Jesus that one will betray him.  At hearing this each disciple - and us - all say: "Surely, it is not I, Lord!"  Even when the betrayer is revealed the rest of the disciples are entirely clueless as to what is happening, still immersed in their own religious bravado, only to be repeated when they all state that they will die for the Lord.

This second boast is followed by Jesus telling their leader that he will deny him three times that very night.  Meanwhile, the rest of the braggarts - yes, we too - will abandon the Lord and hide in fear.  How often do we boast of our fidelity to the Lord, only to find ourselves rejecting him in the person of our neighbor whom we would malign and dehumanize!  How often do we leave people abandoned to the bloodlust of the crowd wanting death and deportation!  

Today's Gospel scene is a reenactment of the Pharisee and Publican at prayer in the Temple.  So often religion is the bravado of the Pharisee and our disciples today, and so rare is it the Publican's humility that we do not even find that humility in a single person in the upper room.  Today is a day for us to reflect on that scene once again and to find the humility we need to own our bravado and have that be what is crucified within us this week.