EASTER SUNDAY (B)

 

Easter Sunday (B) [Jn 20:1-9]

31.03.2024

The Discovery of the Empty Tomb and Faith in the Resurrection

Readings: (1) Acts 10:34.37-43 (2) Col 3:1-4

1.    Theme in brief:

Looking for the Risen Lord with an intensity of love and faith

2.    Focus Statement:

Each one of us can become the beloved disciple of the Risen Lord by the intensity of our love for him, which enables us to run faster for him than before, and recognize his powerful presence promptly in all situations.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to today’s gospel when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week, she found the stone of the tomb removed (20:1). Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb and her observation of removal of the stone symbolize Jesus’ victory over the power of death and darkness (evil or satanic forces). She sets out to visit Jesus’ tomb “while it was still dark” (20:1). This symbolizes as the disciple who is in darkness, the one who lacks faith in the resurrection, going in search of the One who is the Light of the world. According to John a disciple is the one who constantly looks for or is in search of the Master. This is clear from the fact that Jesus asked the first two disciples (Andrew and his companion) who followed him because of the testimony of John the Baptist, “What are you looking for?” (1:38). Now Jesus asks the same question after his resurrection when he appears Mar Magdalene: “Woman…whom are you looking for” (20:15)? Here Mary Magdalene is depicted as a woman disciple who is constantly in search of the Master even after death. Obviously, she goes to the tomb of Jesus not to anoint his body (as Mk and Lk say), but in search of the one whom she loved most. Her loving devotion will be rewarded later on with the gift of a special appearance (20:14-15).

We need to carefully notice in today’s gospel text the characteristics of “the other disciple” or “the one whom Jesus loves” (20:2-4). He is never named. Many think he is the fourth evangelist (John) himself. Commentators call him the Beloved Disciple of the Lord. When he and Simon Peter hear the word from Mary Magdalene about the empty tomb, they run towards it. But the Beloved Disciple manages to outrun Peter in the race (20:4).  His exemplary love for Jesus motivates him to run faster for Jesus and his cause. As soon as he reaches the tomb, he peeps into it and sees the linen cloths lying on the ground without the body. He waits for Peter and allows him to go into the tomb first. When Peter sees the same thing what the other disciple saw, there is no immediate response or reaction from him. But when the Beloved Disciple goes in, he sees and believes promptly that Jesus has risen from the dead (20:9). Both of them see the same thing in the tomb (the linen wrappings lying there), but the Beloved Disciple sees the same thing with the eyes of faith and believes first ((20:8). The intensity of his love towards Jesus stimulates faith instantly.

The fourth evangelist here may be contrasting Peter’s denial (unfaithfulness) during Jesus’ passion to the faithfulness of the Beloved Disciple who stood by the cross till the last moment and was able to believe in the resurrection. By staying close to Jesus in his suffering he proves to be really the Beloved Disciple. Though many of us presume that this disciple is John himself, nowhere he is clearly identified. This Beloved Disciple seems to symbolize all the disciples of Jesus who are invited to become his beloved. He is presented as a model for all believers so that they can be first to love, first to recognize the Risen Lord in faith (“believe”) and first to remain faithful to him. He is also a model of arriving at faith in the resurrection without looking for physical proofs or spectacular miracles. Thus he is contrasted with Thomas who later doubted about the truth of resurrection and demanded dramatic proofs. In that place also the Risen Lord will re-emphasize the necessity of faith without seeking for miracles and visions, and declare people who arrive at such faith as “blessed” (20:29).

4.    Application to life                     

From today’s gospel text we come to know how three disciples of Jesus (Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple) respond to the reality of the resurrection in three different ways. Mary Magdalene is presented as a faithful disciple who is constantly looking for (seeking after) the Master even after his death. She must have been shattered by the shameful death of her Master on the cross and must have felt emptiness within herself at such a loss. Not only that she experiences physical separation from Jesus who has touched her life so much, but also spiritual darkness – because she has not yet come to faith in the resurrection by which she can ‘see’ the presence of the Risen Lord in every dark moment of life. That is why she is presented as a disciple who is at a great loss and in utter darkness going in search of the Light of the Risen Lord. The discovery of the empty tomb symbolizes her own loss and emptiness first at the death of her Master which is now doubled at the loss of his body from the tomb. Like her, whenever we experience emptiness or meaninglessness of life we resemble that empty tomb. We expect God to take away our emptiness miraculously without any effort such as faithful and constant search for the Lord in faith after her example. When that does not happen we lose patience and dilute our faith in the Lord.

If our love and devotion for the Lord is as intense as Mary Magdalene, we get the strength to search for him even in dark moments of our life. Surely, he will reward our love and faith by assuring his mysterious presence even during “the dark night of our souls”. If we firmly believe that Jesus has risen indeed, we can see the presence of the One who is living everywhere and in every situation with the eyes of faith, even when we are walking in the valley of tears. The moment we allow evil forces (or forces of death) take control of us, we are cut off from our life’s source (God) and become a rudderless ship. Let us invoke the power of the Risen Lord in total faith so that he can remove this ‘stone’ (obstacle to faith) and give the strength to win a decisive victory over the forces of death. The celebration of the feast of Resurrection urges us to invoke the power of the Risen Lord over these forces so that we can win a victory of faith.

Secondly, we have Simon Peter who is presented as a disciple who is slower in believing than the Beloved Disciple. His relationship with the Master has undergone ups and downs. He is very much shattered for another reason – his failure as a leader. His cowardice has led him to deny his Master. But he does not stop running for the Lord along with the Beloved Disciple until he reaches the height of faithfulness. Is this not our story too? In spite of our occasional failures and unfaithfulness we are called to be another Peter; called not to lose hope and not to stop running for the Lord’s mission. We hope that one day we shall overcome like Peter…

Thirdly, we have an unnamed disciple called the Beloved Disciple. It looks as if Simon Peter and this disciple were engaged in a running competition on Easter morning. Of course, both of them were running for Jesus. But the Beloved Disciple was running faster than Peter. The reason is not that he was younger and could run faster. This running race symbolizes a disciple’s intense love for the Master and personal attachment to his cause, or it could symbolize a disciple’s eagerness to look for the Master in every situation of life. It is clear that Peter was not ‘running fast’ for Jesus from his past failure. Though we too are running, we do not run with full vigour and passion. Sometimes we do not know actually whom are we running for.  Where is the cause and finishing line? Each one of us is called to become a beloved disciple of the Lord by loving him with such intensity day after day that we can run faster for him than before with passion and devotion. Today, those of us who have gathered to celebrate the New Life of Jesus are invited to resolve to be more enthusiastic, zealous and committed to his cause.

Like the Beloved Disciple, if we love Jesus the most, we can recognize his glorious and powerful presence promptly with the eyes of faith in all situations, places and persons. Our dedicated love will lead us to recognize his love at work everywhere; in our family, community and society. Sometimes we do not know actually whom are we running for. While we do any dedicated service in family, society, workplace and the Church, if some opposition and criticism makes us give up our good work, then it is understood that we are not doing it for the Lord or out of love for him. It looks as if we are doing everything to please others and to get praise and honour for ourselves.

We normally believe and trust those people whom we love more. Similarly, if we love Jesus more than anything else, we shall trust him more and recognize his hidden presence even in unpleasant and bitter experiences. We trust that his presence is hidden in them because we love him. Loving him implies both intimacy with him through prayer, Word of God and sacraments, and also loving his values by practice. If there is love in our hearts, we do not require dramatic proofs or heavenly visions. We become blessed because we believe without seeing the Lord physically. We normally do not see the love of those who love us. However, we see the signs of love in their special concern for us. Through these signs we recognize their love only if we have a heart to see. 

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we firmly believe that life can emerge from empty tomb, and light can shine out of darkness? Can we see the signs of the Risen Lord’s presence in our lives? Does our intense love for Him stimulate us to love those whom he loves, namely, the needy and the lost sheep? Do we look for the Risen Lord in all situations, especially in dark moments of our life? Does it lead us to a greater faith-commitment? Do we also recognize the signs of his love expressed through the sacraments, especially thee Eucharist? Does it stimulate greater faith in us? Today the Church invites us to be the beloved disciples of the Risen Lord by a deeper love-relationship and faith-commitment. What is our response?

6.    A prayer

Risen Lord, grant that like Mary Magdalene, our love and devotion for you lead us to search for you even in dark moments of our life. Reward our love and faith by assuring your mysterious presence even when we walk through the dark tunnel and meaninglessness of our life. Iincrease our faith that we may recognize your powerful presence promptly with the eyes of faith in all situations, places and persons. May we become your beloved disciples by loving you with such intensity day after day that we can look for you and work for you with more enthusiasm and commitment than before. Grant that this intensity of love may lead us to recognize your love at work in our family, community and society. Amen.

EASTER VIGIL (B)

 

Easter Vigil [Mk 16:1-7]

30.04.2024

The Resurrection of Jesus

Readings: OT (1) Gen 1:1-2:2  (2) Gen 22:1-18  (3) Ex 14:15-15:1  (4) Is 54:5-14  (5) Is 55:1-11  (6) Bar 3;9-15.32-4:4  (7) Ez 36:16-28; NT  (8) Rom 6:3-11

1.    Theme in brief:

Encountering the Risen Lord in our own Galilee

2.    Focus Statement

We must discover the presence of the Risen Lord with the eyes of faith in the midst of all our life-situations and among the marginalized by showing our preferential love for them.

3.    Explanation of the text

According to Mark’s resurrection narrative prescribed for Eater Vigil Mass, women disciples alone dared to accompany Jesus till his death (15:40,41,47), whereas all the male disciples fled (14:50). When the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome purchased the spices so that they could go to the tomb and anoint Jesus’ body as a sign of love, devotion, and respect (16:1). When he died, they could not pay their tribute to the body of the One whom they loved ardently by performing the last rites as per Jewish custom, because of the Sabbath. They went to the tomb on “the first day of the week” (that is, Sunday as per Jewish calendar) when the sun had just risen (16:2). [Hence Sunday became the Day of the (Risen) Lord for the Christian community.]

This gospel text shows how the fervent and faithful love of the holy women for Jesus even after his death was rewarded. This reward was given in the form of joyful news given by a young man (namely, angel of the Lord) that Jesus was alive (16:6). His white robe probably refers to the glory of resurrection – an obvious reference to the bleached clothes of Jesus at his Transfiguration (Mk 9:3).

As the women discussed on the way to the tomb about the impossibility of rolling away the large stone at the entrance to the tomb, they were taken aback to find it already rolled away (16:3-4). The rolling away of the stone symbolizes the victory of Jesus over the forces of death (16:4). By his resurrection, Jesus had overcome death and had opened up an eternal destiny beyond their physical death for those who believe in him. The angel of the Lord said to the women: “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised (by the Father); he is not here” (16:6). "He" – Jesus who lived in Nazareth, walked in a limited region of Palestine, taught the New Law, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died a shameful death on a cross and buried in this tomb is not "here." Because he has been raised from the dead, now he is no more limited or confined to the place where they laid him (16:6), that is, to the place of his burial or to the space of his earthly life. Now he can break all barriers, walls, limitations and boundaries established by human beings and continue to save whoever believes in his name.

The angel admonished the women to tell his disciples that he was going ahead of them to Galilee where they would see him, just as he had told them (16:7). This refers to Jesus’ prediction to Peter (when he foretold about his denial) that he would go to Galilee before him after his resurrection (Mk 14:28). Galilee was the place where they had made a decisive choice to follow him while catching fish (Mk 1:16-20). It was also called “Galilee of the Gentiles” because of its mixed population of Jews and Gentiles. It was considered to be a land where people sit in darkness and ignorance (Mt 4:15-16) in contrast to Jerusalem of the pundits and higher-ups. The Risen Lord went ahead of his disciples to this Galilee where they would ‘see’ him (of course, with the eyes of faith).

The women leaving the tomb quickly with terror and amazement (16:8) symbolize a reverential fear and wonder commonly found throughout the Bible when humans encounter the Divine. They became the first witnesses of the resurrection. They had gone to the tomb to pay their last respects by anointing the corpse of Jesus, but were told to give up their desire for a dignified burial for the one whom they loved so much. Instead, an angel appeared and commissioned them to share the news of his resurrection with the apostles, especially Peter (16:7). This special mention of Peter shows that, in spite of his denials, Jesus had not deserted him. He was so eager to meet a sinner rather than condemn him – the first encounter with the lost sheep by the Shepherd.

4.    Application to life

The primary proof of resurrection of Christ is not the discovery of empty tomb. At the most it could be a secondary proof. In fact, empty tomb and missing corpse could be explained by several arguments such as stealing it by bribing the guards, etc. The greatest proof is the transformation or change that took place in the apostles and the holy women. The women had actually gone to perform last rites to a dead body. But what a great surprise was in store for them! The women and the apostles were shattered with the thought that everything they had hoped had ended in a tragedy. The very fact that we are here to celebrate Easter now is the proof that Christ has really risen from the dead. What else can explain the transformation of frightful and despairing women and men into courageous witnesses, full of radiant joy! That shows something really supernatural had happened in their life. They were really stirred by a tremendous experience of the One who is no more dead but LIVING.

I love to view again and again a video song titled: “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” Yes, because we believe that Jesus lives and can die no more, it does make a difference:

1)    Yes, because Jesus is risen, he is not just a hero or a great historical figure, but a living presence. If we believe that he is alive, his presence cannot be reduced merely to the pages of the Bible or any religious book, or a statue in a church, or to a tabernacle. He is no more in the tomb; he is a living reality. Now we are not following just an idea or ideology, a dream or an imagination, but a Living Person. It is not just enough to study him or know him theoretically, but because he lives, we can meet him in faith in all situations. The gospel text invites us to look for the Risen Lord away from the tomb in all situations of our life – in our joys and sorrows, daily problems and struggles. From the testimony of the resurrection given by the devout women, we come to know that those who ‘seek’ Jesus with love, devotion and faith, encounter him in impossible situations, even in death. Because he lives, we merely do not teach lessons from the life of a Great Hero, or Teacher; we proclaim and testify to the world what we have ‘seen’ or experienced when we are touched by his powerful presence in the midst of our life-situations. As St. John writes in his Letter, “We declare to you what we have seen and heard”  and “testify to it”(cf. 1 Jn 1:1-3). Is our testimony visible to others?

2)    Because Jesus is risen, he is not a memory of the past. Easter is not an annual memorial of a dead person who is kept alive in one’s memory, as people observe for the dead or departed ones in their families. Time alone wipes away memories of the past. By now, his memory would have faded, maybe except for a day – as we annually remember our great (national/ regional/ religious) leaders by commemorating their birth or death anniversaries. Since he is risen, even after two thousand years he is not relegated just to a day’s memorial. Everyday and at every moment, faith makes his presence as fresh as the breaking news which the women received on the first day of the week some 2000 years ago. He is in our Bethlehems; he is in our Gethsemanes; he is in our Golgothas; he is on our Mount Tabors; and he is in our Galilees. Yes, because he lives, we believe that he is with us in all the ups and downs of life and will be with us for ever. Do you believe ths?j

3)    Because Jesus is risen he gives new meaning to our life and motivates us to discover his presence in everything and everywhere. Because he lives, we can see something good in everything, however painful and disgusting an experience may be. Today’s gospel tells us that a “young man dressed in a white robe” (of course, an angel, 16:5) told the women, who had gone to the tomb to anoint his body: “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here” (16:6). The angel told them that the Lord was not in the tomb where they had laid him; no more confined to one place or limited by space and time, or limited by our selfish desires. If he is not here, where is he now? Where can we find him now? As he is risen, now we can encounter and discover him in the midst of our life-situations through the eyes of faith – in all our problems, struggles, crises, challenges, worries, dilemmas, difficulties, calamities, trials, risks, joys and sorrows, disappointments and frustrations. Yes, if we really believe this, we shall feel his presence as he walks with us in the valley of our tears, in our hardships, in our doubts and in all that happens to us. Because he lives, we can experience his peace in the midst of our disturbed and anxious minds, his providence in our deprivation, his support in our weakness and his outstretched arms in our fall and failures.

4)    Because Jesus lives, His power is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead selves back to life. Our faith in the Risen Lord has the power to raise us up, renew and re-create us, if only we desire for a change from the depth of our hearts and submit or surrender ourselves fully to his power (1 Cor 15:12-19).

But a large ‘stone’ separates us from the Risen Lord, due to which we do not recognize him. It could be either lack of faith, sin or hardheartedness. Who will roll away these obstructing stones? Of course, God himself through the power of his Risen Son. Do we firmly believe in his power? If yes, should we not plead with God to roll away these obstructing stones?

Yes, the tomb is empty; we will not find him there. We will not find him where forces of death are at work; where a culture of death, violence and ‘might-is-right’ policy rules. We will not find him where greed, corruption and dishonesty rule. Nor will we find him only in ‘Jerusalem’ – the centre of Jewish worship or the churches and places of our present worship. He is not confined to only church, prayer and liturgy. He sends us from this solemn and elaborate liturgy of Easter Vigil to Galilee – a marginalized region in a globalized and pluralistic world. We have to ‘seek’ him there.

We are told that he goes ahead of us to our present-time Galilees – among the poor, the marginalized, those struggling for life. First of all, we need to meet him in our own environment, situation and sphere of activities (our own “Galilee”). Secondly, since Galilee refers to a region looked down with contempt by the pundits of Jerusalem, we are called to encounter the Risen Lord also among the poor and the least ones. He wants that we show a preferential love for the poor ad the marginalized by our service to them. He wants that we should continue his mission to bring life from death. The question is whether we earnestly try to meet him by our faithfulness to this mission. He sends not only men but also women as evangelizers. The role of women as messengers of the Good News (that Christ lives) is as central to the mission of the Church as that of men.

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we seek the Risen Lord in all situations? Do we have faith enough to recognize the presence of the Risen Lord? Do we feel that Jesus is risen in us and in the world we live? What are the effects of Jesus’ living presence on our life and behaviour? By what signs we can know that Jesus is really living and active in our homes, neighbourhood and the Church? Have we locked up Jesus in our narrow and selfish world? Do we ‘see’ Jesus among the poor and the marginalized? Do we allow the Easter Light to dispel the darkness of sin, and baptismal water to cleanse us from evil? What are forces of death that rule our life, over which we need to win a victory with the power of the Risen Lord?

6.    A prayer

Alleluia! We praise and bless you Lord our God for making the tremendous power available to us by raising your Son Jesus from the dead. Lord Jesus, we do believe in your living presence. You are present in the midst of our lives, both when we walk in the valley of our tears and climb the mountain of joy. You are truly alive in our hearts and in the heart of our world. You go ahead of us to our present-time Galilees and invite us to meet you there. Open our eyes of faith that we may recognize you in the ups and downs of our life and among the marginalized. Grant that with your power we may win a victory over the forces of death. Amen.

GOOD FRIDAY : COMMEMORATION OF THE PASSION AND DEATH OF OUR LORD

Good Friday: Passion and Death of Our Lord (B) [Jn 18:1-19:42]

29.03.2024

The Passion and Glorious Death of Jesus

                                         Readings: (1) Is 52:13-53:13 (2) Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9

1.  Theme in brief:

Carrying our crosses out of love

2.  Focus Statement

Like Jesus, we too are called to complete our life’s mission by carrying our daily crosses willingly and in a composed manner out of love for God and humans, and in obedience to God’s will.

3.  Explanation of the text

Some of the unique and salient features found only in John’s Passion Narrative prescribed for today’s liturgy are the following:

(1) The cross is the culmination of and the greatest price Jesus pays for his saving deeds, such as compassion towards the sick, the hungry, the sinners and the outcasts. It is the climax of his ‘hour’ (that is, God’s appointed time) by which he glorifies the Father (12: 23).

(2) Jesus faces his suffering and death willingly (voluntarily) and in a composed manner. He lays down his life of his own accord out of love for humans (18:5-8, 11, 30), and also in total obedience to the mission entrusted to him by his Father. In the Garden of Kidron Valley, when the soldiers and the temple police come to arrest him, he voluntarily submits himself into the hands of his enemies by openly revealing his identity twice as Jesus of Nazareth. He says:  if they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, they should allow his disciples to go free (18.4-8). He tells Peter that he must drink the ‘cup’ of suffering that the Father has designed for him (18:11). At the end, when his ‘hour’ of death comes, he willingly gives up his spirit as an act of voluntary and total self-surrender (19.30).

(3) Jesus walks the way of the cross up to Golgotha by carrying his cross “by himself” (all alone) without anybody’s help (such as Simon of Cyrene’s, as the Synoptic Gospels tell us, 19:17).

(4) From the cross Jesus cries out: “I am thirsty” (19:28). Taking into consideration for John’s liking for double meaning, Jesus is thirsty not only physically, but also for the love of sinners like us, and for God’s love to be realized in us. He thirsts that the spirit of his selfless love, service and sacrifice may come on earth through his followers.

(5)  By his agonizing death on the cross, Jesus demonstrates to the world that there cannot be greater love than this (15:13).

(6)  As he is totally committed to his Father’s will, he remains faithful to it unto death, and by his death accomplishes the mission for which he is sent. That is why he says: “It is finished or accomplished and gives up his spirit (19:30).

(7) Jesus dies at the very hour when the priests of the Temple at Jerusalem slaughter the lambs for Jewish Passover. Therefore, he is likened to the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by his death on the cross. When his side is pierced with a lance, blood and water gush forth (19:31-37), symbolizing the sacraments of Eucharist and baptism. 

4.   Application to life

Our reflections on Good Friday based on the special and unique features of John’s passion narrative, are focussed on three loving invitations given by Jesus from the cross:

(1)  To imitate or imbibe his spirit of voluntary suffering and service:

Since John’s gospel insists that Jesus voluntarily embraced the cross, out of sheer love for humans, it is good to distinguish between the sufferings in our lives, which come without asking (like illness, natural calamities, death, etc.), and those which we voluntarily embrace in order to be faithful to the ministry of service to the needy and the suffering. The crucified and exalted Christ (as per John’s theology) invites us to embrace those crosses which come to us when we voluntarily undertake services motivated by his shining example. Those of us who are highly motivated and committed for the service of the poor, social justice, eradication of social evils, solidarity with the downtrodden and care of the outcasts and the rejected have to voluntarily embrace crosses of criticism, opposition, rejection, humiliation and intimidation. Are we willing to embrace these crosses willingly and help others to carry their crosses? Like Christ, who willingly ‘drank the cup’ of suffering the Father had given him, we need to suffer voluntarily (or take up our crosses willingly) out of love for those whom he ministered (18:11). Does this thought make us more sensitive to the sufferings of those people?

(2)  To accept our crosses in a composed manner and a spirit of self-surrender:

We may be surprised to notice a contradiction in terms at the title written above: “the passion and glorious death of Jesus”. How can the cruel and agonizing death he faced be ‘glorious?’ Unlike the synoptic gospels, John’s gospel presents Jesus entering into his Passion as a composed and glorious Messiah. His gospel minimizes the cruelty of his passion to show that he was in total control of his situation when his ‘hour’ had come, and approached his suffering and death in a composed manner. Thus, his passion narrative invites us to carry our daily crosses or face our own sufferings in a composed manner like Christ so that we may share his glory.

What are the crosses we need to accept in a composed manner? They are not made of wood. As per John’s passion narrative, they could come in the form of opposition and destructive criticism we face when we do deeds of mercy towards the needy, suffering, sinners, the poor and the outcasts; of rejection and ridicule we face when we voluntarily serve the needy out of love; of opposition  when we stand firmly for certain moral principles and are faithful to our life’s purpose or mission; and negative reaction we meet when we stand for justice and truth. When we accept these crosses we undertake voluntary suffering for a cause and to fulfil a mission as Jesus did.

Let us think of other crosses too in our life: persons we find difficult to live with; places that are dangerous and risky; and circumstances/ situations that cannot be changed in spite of hard efforts; situations that are absurd, frustrating, confusing, uncertain and the unexplainable; our powerlessness to change anything in spite of having all powers; and our loneliness in sickness and old age or lack of support from our own people. Sometimes we have to carry the cross of an incurable or lingering illness, a broken relationship with family members/ friends/ neighbours, a breakdown in marriage, a deep-rooted bad habit or addiction (personal or someone else’s in the family), an enmity with neighbours, a jobless situation, a loss of job and a sudden death in the family. Sometimes we may have to carry some of these crosses alone without any help or support from others (even from our family or community members) as Christ had to do. These crosses lead to questions that haunt our minds now and then without an answer: “Why this particular thing should have happened to me...What wrong have I done…? Where is God….?”

Today, Christ reminds us about the price he paid to help us go through our own way of the cross and Golgathas so that the light of Easter may shine on us. He invites us to place all our smaller and bigger crosses at the foot of his cross and unite our suffering with his suffering and death. Though all of us know that suffering in any form is a part and parcel of human life, when it comes to us we find it difficult to accept it in a composed manner as Christ did. I still have vivid memories of sitting at the bedside of my sister for six days (that looked like one month) and helplessly watching her dying at such a young age due to the attack of deadly cancer. When I reached her bedside at the last moment (as I was working in a distant place), she saw me and wept bitterly unable to speak a word. Then she went into a coma which kept her hanging between life and death for six days. Though it was difficult to accept that loss at that time, it has taught me a lesson. That experience has made me more sensitive to other people's suffering than before, and to the depth of pain families go through when their near and dear ones die in terminal illnesses and tragic accidents. It has made me realize how vulnerable and limited we are, as human beings, and how dependent we are on God’s power. This realization should lead us to admit our powerlessness and surrender ourselves into God’s hands and say: “Do what you want with me.” When our faith-surrender leads to peace and serenity of mind we experience the glimpses of glory emerging from the cross as John’s gospel tells us. According to his gospel Jesus’ glorification takes place at his death itself.

(3)  To repent or change our hearts:

Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus invites us to experience a healing touch for the ‘poison’ of sin with which we are infected. He says to Nicodemus “just as Moses lifted up the serpant in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up” (Jn 3:14). We are called today to fix our gaze in faith at Jesus who is “lifted up” – a technical word in Jn to refer to his crucifixion and glorification. Today, John’s passion narrative invites us to experience God’s infinite love flowing from the cross of Christ. Cross is the proof of the Father’s boundless love for sinners like you and me, and for the broken world. It is the ultimate sign of God’s absolute love and generosity for us.

In the light of John’s passion narrative, let us look up to the cross of Christ with eyes of faith and meditate on the price he paid to heal us from the poison of sin or all evil. God loved you, me and the whole world of sinners so much that he allowed his Son to die a criminal’s shameful death on the cross. He so loved us that he wanted to share with us his own life (called “eternal life” in Jn) by saving us through the cross of Christ (cf. 3:16-17). Was there no other way of saving us? Yes, there was. But we would not have got a shining example of somebody like us who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and has been tested in every respect as we are (Heb 4:15). The loving gaze of Christ hanging on the cross with his tortured and blood-spattered body should remind us of the price his absolute love and total obedience to the Father’s will has paid. He proves that there cannot be any greater love than this (15:13). We hear a voice crying from the cross: “I love you this much! What more could I have done for you?” If this not enough to melt our hearts to repent for our and our world’s sins, what else can!

5.  Response to God's Word

Do we voluntarily embrace those crosses which come to us when we voluntarily undertake services motivated by his shining example? Do we accept our crosses (especially those which come to us because of our voluntary service) in a composed manner and with surrender to God’s will, or grudgingly with a lot restlessness and complaints? What are our personal crosses and crosses of the world we would like to place at the foot of Christ’s cross and unite our suffering with his? Only when we accept our sufferings in faith and surrender to God’s will, our cross has a redemptive value. Today, during the most sorrowful liturgy of Good Friday, are we going to kiss the cross with this intention or just to fulfil a ritual?

6.  A prayer

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world. O Crucified Lord, we bow down before your Holy Cross in an act of thanksgiving for such a great price your absolute love has paid in order to save us. Today we bring all our personal crosses and the crosses of the suffering humanity in the world and place them at the foot of your holy cross. Give us the grace and strength to accept them lovingly and in a composed manner. We unite them with your suffering and death as an act of total surrender to your holy will.  Remain with us, and be our support and strength when our crosses become too heavy for us. Amen.  

Maundy Thursday (B)

 

Maundy Thursday (B) [Jn 13:1-15]

28.03.2024

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

Readings: (1) Ex 12:1-8.11-14 (2) 1 Cor 11:23-26

1.  Theme in brief:

The Eucharist energizes us for a humble and sacrificial service

2.  Focus Statement

The Eucharist gives us spiritual energy to give ourselves totally in humble and sacrificial service of the needy that we may become worthy to have a share with Jesus and be his faithful disciples.

3.  Explanation of the text

By washing the feet of his disciples in the context of the Passover Meal – which is his Last Supper with his disciples – Jesus takes upon himself the role of a servant, since it is the duty of servants (literally, slaves) in Jewish society  to wash the feet of their masters and guests. Here he presents the image of lowliest of servants as he stoops down to wash the feet of his disciples with a basin in hand and a towel around his waist (13:5). It is a sort of acted role-play to demonstrate his intention to render humble service to humanity unto death and thus accomplish his mission. The disciples are stunned at this act of humility and the reversal of roles with them. This humility of assuming a servant’s role symbolizes his ultimate act of humility and sacrificial love to be demonstrated on the cross. He wants to teach that the same love that he demonstrates by laying down his life on the cross should also be demonstrated by his disciples by laying down their lives in humble and sacrificial service.

Traditionally, the symbolic meaning of foot-washing done by Jesus is explained as an act of humility from his part. True. But in addition, it refers to his role of servanthood. A servant’s duty was, as per Jewish custom, to wash the feet of guests as they arrive for feasts and gatherings. Here Jesus stoops down like a servant to render a humble service as if they were his masters. This is clear from his explanation to Peter’s objection: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (13:7). If it is a mere physical washing of feet, what is there to understand later on? Or if this action is meant only to teach a lesson in humility and service of a slave, even then what is there to understand later on? Anybody can understand a slave’s service on the spot. Experts tell us that the word “later” in this context refers to his sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus, in fact, says that only when he lays down his life on the cross, the disciples will understand how and to what extent they should serve out of love for one another. Thus Jesus gives the connotation of “service” to his entire ministry, including his passion and death.

When Peter objects, Jesus explains that washing his feet is a condition to have a share or part with him (13:8). To have a share (literally, inheritance) with Jesus is to have fellowship with him or to participate fully in his life, and to be his faithful disciples. For that the disciples themselves must be interiorly washed first with the water of baptism (13:8) and be willing to “wash one another’s feet” as their Lord and Teacher has done (13:14-15). Foot-washing is not to be taken literally, but to mean giving (or spending) one’s life totally in service. Through foot-washing he wants to demonstrate that service-mindedness is a requirement for discipleship. As Jesus’ body is given up (broken or sacrificed) for the service of humankind, the disciples also need to sacrifice their bodily energies for others’ service, making it a sacrificial service.

4.  Application to life

John’s gospel has no narrative of the institution of the Eucharist. Instead, we have the episode of washing of disciples’ feet by Jesus during his Last Supper with his disciples. Why did Jesus wash the feet of his disciples? The traditional answer is to humble himself. Though this answer is true, there is a further or deeper meaning in this symbolic act. In it we get the image of a servant stooping down to wash the feet of his disciples. A servant symbolizes not only humility but also service rendered to the master. According to today’s gospel according to John, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. And the first three gospels tell us that he instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper. Here we find a close relationship between the Eucharist and foot-washing. We already mentioned that foot-washing symbolizes Jesus’ supreme act of service rendered to humanity by his sacrificial death on the cross. The Eucharist is a memorial of the total self-gift of Jesus given to us as a result of his humble service that reaches its climax at his sacrificial death on the cross. As he told his disciples he tells us: If you want to have a share with me, or if you want to be my faithful disciple, you too should also stoop down to “wash one another’s feet” (that is, humbly serve one another).

Not only John, but also the first three gospels take Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross as his greatest act of service rendered to humanity. Take for example, in Mk 10:45 Jesus says: “The Son of Man came not be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many” (or to redeem many people). Giving one’s life refers to death. In Lk 22:19, Jesus says at the Last Supper, “This is my body, which is given for you’’, and “Do this in remembrance of me”. In other words, “This is my body which is sacrificed for your service”. Jesus was a man for others. During the Last Supper he gives us a spiritual nourishment (namely, the Holy Eucharist) to be men and women not for ourselves but for others. By washing the feet of his disciples in the context of the institution of the Eucharist, he wants to tell us that his body is broken and blood is shed for our salvation which is his greatest act of service for us. Hence, we too must ‘break our bodies’ and ‘shed our blood’ (that is, spend ourselves) for the service of others. The Eucharist, if taken in this spirit, gives us spiritual energy to ‘break our bodies’ and ‘shed our blood’ to serve others with commitment and devotion.

What is service then? It mainly implies self-giving or giving one’s life for the welfare of others which includes a sharing of time, talents, goods, resources, knowledge, speech, and energies for the good or welfare of others. Service and sacrifice are interrelated; no service, no sacrifice and vice versa. “Do this in my memory” is the same as do this in memory of my sacrificial service. Hence, whenever we hear these words during Holy Mass, we are reminded that our bodies (i.e., energies, talents, time, activities, etc.) need to be given or sacrificed for the service of others. Today we need to ask ourselves whether we receive the Eucharist as a spiritual energy to give ourselves in service, or just as a routine, or just for our psychological satisfaction.

This day is called Maundy Thursday in English. This word comes from the Latin word ‘mandatum’ (= commandment). It refers to the commandment given by Jesus at the Last Supper to love one another as he has loved us (Jn 13:34 and 15:12). It is also a command to serve others like a humble servant by sacrificing one’s own life for others as he did. Jesus’ admonition to his disciples “You also must wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:14) is the same as, “love one another as I have loved you” (15:12), or serve one another as I have served you to the extent of sacrificing my life on the cross.

There are two types of services which we render: (1) those which we have to render out of compulsion, like our daily work/job/duty and household chores; and (2) those which we willingly and voluntarily take up out of love for the good of those who are in need of our love. Do we involve ourselves in the latter type of services? Like Jesus, are we willing to stoop down to heal, care, serve, reconcile, forgive and comfort those who are in need of this sort of services? Do we actively look for opportunities for this sort of service in our own little ways? Even a word of comfort/ consolation/ assurance in favour of the needy and the suffering is a matter of service. The Lord whom we encounter in the Eucharist is encountered among such people. It is by “washing the feet” of such people (that is, by serving them) that we live our Eucharistic experience in the sacrament.

Today, let us examine and see whether we, who receive the Eucharist regularly, are affected or influenced by Christ’s way of thinking about rendering service in our society and the Church, or by world’s way of thinking:

Ø  Though jobs are called “service’’ in the secular world, many people consider their jobs as a means only for earning money, not with the motive of rendering service to humanity or society or of nation building. What about you?

Ø  People are respected and their services are valued highly if they bring plenty of money. For example, in many third world countries, the service rendered by working women as nurses and teachers is valued higher than that of so many mothers at home who teach and nurse their children day and night, only because they are not paid for it. How about you?

Ø  There is a tendency in quite a number of people to escape from occasions to render community services including taking up leadership roles in the society and the Church, if there is no monitory or prestige reward for those services. Is it true about you?

Ø  We observe many people wanting to escape from common work and meetings called for common welfare and refusing to share their time, talents, knowledge and energies within their own community with the pretext that they have not time or not free. Do you do so?

Ø  We also see people wasting a lot of time in gossiping, loitering around, playing cards, fiddling with mobile phones and watching TV for hours after hours, instead of using some of that time for social or community service. Do you sacrifice your time for common service?

There is a tendency in many of us to receive the Eucharist for personal and private spiritual benefits only and dissociate it from concrete deeds of service. Normally, after receiving the Holy Communion during the Mass, many of the Faithful are accustomed to do a private or personal prayer for a while. Many of them may be praying only for personal favours from the Lord or for their own spiritual advancement. Besides these, today’s gospel-message reminds us to pray to the Eucharistic Lord to energize us to do works of mercy or concrete deeds of service as he demonstrated by washing of the feet of his disciples.

We can choose any one or two of the following works of mercy: to share our food and drink with the hungry; to volunteer for serving drinking water in public places/ functions/ gatherings/ celebrations; to give away our clothes/ utensils/ furniture/ equipments/ gadgets to the poor or the needy; to share our space/ place/ facilities with the poor for resting in between their work or for conducting classes/ coaching/ meetings/ gathering of the poor; to visit the sick in houses/ hospitals; to visit the elderly senior citizens at their homes or in the Homes for the Aged; to comfort and pray for the sick; to take proper care of the sick; to donate blood to the poor patients; to visit the houses of persons arrested by the police or put in prison; to spend time in praying for a departed person and to console the bereaved family; to visit such bereaved families some time after the funeral to console them and to pray with them. Only when we connect the Eucharist with works of mercy and service, it becomes the Bread that gives life and love to the world (not only to us).

5.    Response to God's Word

Do we involve in any voluntary service? Like Jesus, are we willing to stoop down to serve the needy without any appointment or compulsion? Do we join any social service group or association, or totally keep ourselves confined only to our homes? At home also, do we expect others to serve us at our beck and call, or equally contribute to the total welfare of the family? What type of service do we routinely render to family and society, and what we do not, though they need it very much? Is reception of the Eucharist only a custom to be followed routinely, or a reminder (memorial) of Christ’s service rendered to humanity which culminated in his sacrificial death on the cross? Do we take it as spiritual nourishment given by Jesus to serve like him? Does Eucharist energize and send us to spend our energies, talents, time and resources for the service of others?

6.  A prayer

Lord Jesus, for our sake, you became a humble servant to the extent of sacrificing your life on the cross. You were a man for others. Thank you for giving us such wonderful spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist to be men and women for others. Thank you for giving us spiritual energy through the Eucharist to serve others. Grant that with this energy we may ‘break our bodies’ and ‘shed our blood’ by sharing our time, talents, goods, knowledge, speech and energies with the needy, not out of compulsion, but out of love. As we meet you as our Lord and Master in the Eucharist, grant that we may meet you also among the poor and the needy through our service to them.  Amen.