Friday, April 10, 2015 - Do you prefer to sit on the fence or do you take a stand on issues? When you are unable to do something and someone offers a suggestion, how do you respond? Do you reject it outright because you think you know it all, or do you try it out? Can you accept the differences of others easily, or do they have to be like you to be accepted?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 4:1-12; Jn 21:1-14

Most scholars today see Jn 21:1-25 as a later addition to the Gospel of John. It is not clear whether this material was added by the Evangelist or added later by another redactor or editor. It is true that the language of Chapter 21 differs from the rest of John’s Gospel but, it is also true that all existing manuscripts of John contain Chapter 21. The difference in language is explained as being conditioned by the content and not because someone other than the Evangelist wrote it. Yet, some are clear that, because of the ecclesial concerns which are at the forefront in Chapter 21, and which are not the focuses of the Gospel until Chapter 20, it was added later. Others see the ecclesial concerns as essential to the ending of the Gospel and so, regard Chapter 21 as an integral part of the Gospel. Be that as it may, Chapter 21 is now part of the Gospel and so must be interpreted within the framework of the whole Gospel of John.

There are two parts to this post resurrection story. The first deals with the miraculous catch of fish and the second with the recognition of the risen Lord.

The text begins by informing the reader that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples and then goes on to narrate how this revelation took place. The story is thus to be interpreted as an epiphany. Seven disciples are mentioned, of which only three are named. The beloved disciple, who is mentioned later in the narrative, is one of the seven. The activity of fishing on the part of the disciples, even after they had received the commission from the risen Lord in Chapter 20, may be seen as a sign that they had not obeyed the command.  It might be seen as a sign that they had given up and returned to their former way of life or even as an indication of their aimlessness. This means that an appearance of the risen Lord, and even a command from him, is not enough to cause a transformation in one’s outlook to life. One must be willing to take risks and believe.

The response of the other six to Peter’s statement that he is going fishing is to go with him. This indicates a sense of community and oneness. Though they may not be able to fully understand the significance of going fishing at this crucial time, they will collaborate with Peter. They will pull together. However, despite all their efforts, they are not able to achieve anything. Jesus appears unobtrusively when it is light, and asks a question about the catch. They respond that they have caught nothing. They obey Jesus’ command to cast the net on the right side and are successful. The quantity of fish is so great that they struggle to haul in the net.

The second part of the story narrates the recognition of the risen Lord. The miraculous catch seems to be the reason why the beloved disciple is able to recognize that it is the Lord. Here, too, like at the empty tomb (20:8), he is able to recognize through his intuition. Peter responds to this statement with alacrity, though his desire to be clothed and therefore, respectful, restrains him. The other disciples respond soberly.

The enormity of the catch is detailed in the number of fish caught, namely one hundred fifty three. A variety of interpretations have been offered to explain this number. St. Augustine proposed a mathematical way of reading this number which is regarded even today as plausible. His explanation was that the number 153 is obtained when all of the integers from 1 to 17 are added together; this mathematical fact thus suggests the completeness of the number 153. Others regard the number as clearly indicating that the narration of this event is an eyewitness account of what actually happened. This is why the number is not a round number, but 153. Still another interpretation is that 153 was the number of species of fish known to Greek zoologists of that time and thus, it signifies that every kind or species of fish was caught in the net. This symbolizes that no one is excluded. That the net did not break, despite the fact that there were so many fish, is an indication of unity even in diversity. That this seems to be the best explanation is confirmed by the fact that the verb “to haul” used here of Peter’s hauling the net ashore is the same verb used to describe those who come to Jesus from God (6:44).  It is the same verb that is used to describe the salvific effect of Jesus’ death when he will “draw’ (haul) all people to himself (12:32). Thus, the disciples continue the mission of Jesus even when they fish, by drawing all to him.

Since the disciples “know’ it is the Lord they do not ask him his identity. Jesus plays the host and invites them to dine with him.

At least three significant points are made by this text. The first is that there is no guarantee that, just because a person has “seen” and “heard” Jesus, he/she will obey his commands or continue his mission. It is possible that, even after such an experience, one will continue in the old ways.

Second, any mission that is undertaken without the help of the Lord will rarely meet with success as is evident in the disciples’ failure to catch anything, even after all their strenuous efforts. Sometimes, it is the words of a stranger that result in the transformation of a situation. To hear these words, it is important to be as open and receptive as the disciples were though they did not know who that stranger was. If the disciples, instead of listening to what the stranger was saying, had acted arrogantly and with pride, they would never have made the miraculous catch and may never have encountered Jesus.

Third, exclusivity has no place in any mission that has its roots in Jesus’ mission. All are included and all are welcome. Even more, each retains his/her identity and is still very much a part of the whole. There is no need for uniformity in the family of Jesus, but unity is very much a core value.

Thursday, April 9, 2015 - Have you received the forgiveness that Jesus proclaimed? How will you preach this forgiveness today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts3:11-26; Lk 24:35-48

These verses contain the appearance of the risen Jesus to the eleven and their companions.  Luke’s account has parallels with the accounts found in Matthew, Mark, and John.  Here, too, like in the Emmaus story, the disciples are unable to recognize Jesus. When Jesus appears to them and greets them with a wish of peace, they think they are seeing a ghost and so, are frightened and terrified. Jesus’ response to these emotions is to ask why they are frightened and why doubts must arise.  In order to prove to them that it is indeed he, Jesus shows them his hands and feet and invites them to touch him. This is to prove that he is not a spirit which has no flesh and bones. Despite this invitation, they continue to doubt. Jesus then asks them for something to eat.  He eats what they give him, in front of them. This gesture results in portraying the reality of the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Yet, Luke does not explicitly state that the disciples believed, even after seeing Jesus eat.

Jesus does something more. He explains to them, like he did to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the scriptures and the things concerning him that the scriptures had foretold. Scripture could only be fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. After this, he commissions them to be witnesses of this fact and through it, the gift of forgiveness of sins to all nations, which will begin in Jerusalem.

Thus, the text which began with the doubt and confusion of the disciples ends with them being made witnesses of the bodily resurrection of Jesus.  They are witnesses that his death and resurrection have resulted in salvation and forgiveness of sins for all humankind.

The points that Luke seems to want to make here are first, that Jesus has indeed been raised, and bodily, and second, that the disciples who will proclaim this fact were eye witnesses to this event.  It was not simply an event that took place beyond history (though the resurrection, as such, is a meta-historical event) but happened in space and in time, was real, and witnessed by the disciples who saw the risen Lord.

The hands and feet that Jesus showed his disciples are visible today in each of us who claim to be his disciples. These are to be shown to the world as “proof” not only of the fact that Jesus is alive, but that in his name, forgiveness is even now being preached. It is significant that the content of the preaching, even after the resurrection of Jesus, is to be forgiveness, because that is why Jesus came into the world; to save people from their sins. This forgiveness can be preached and made real only if we bear witness to it through our lives.

Wednesday, April 07, 2015 - What is it that keeps you from recognizing Jesus? Is it your focus on the negative? Are you not able to see God because he does not reveal himself or because you do not open wide your heart?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts3:1-10; Lk 24:13-35

“That very day” – This phrase refers to the immediately preceding scene in which the women who saw the empty tomb return and narrate to the eleven and to all the rest what they had witnessed. The response of those who heard about the empty tomb from the women interpreted it as an “idle tale and they did not believe them” (24:11).

“two of them” – these are not identified, though later we are told that one of them is Cleopas (24:18). Luke could be intending that the reader place him/herself in the position of the ones who are travelling.

“all these things that had happened” – This phrase refers to all that has happened in the passion and death of Jesus.

“While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” – They are discussing the things that happened to Jesus when Jesus himself approaches them. These verses also make us wonder how and when they will recognize him. While the use of the passive tense “were kept” may indicate that God prevented them from recognizing him, it may also indicate that their closed attitude or their despondency kept them from recognizing Jesus.

“What is this conversation…? And they stood looking sad.” – The question of Jesus takes them by surprise so that they have to stop their walking.

“Cleophas” – now we are given the name of one of the travelers. The fact that Cleopas was not well known in the early Christian community, and is not in any lists of the Twelve, adds credibility to the story.

“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” – the irony is that, whereas the question assumes Jesus is the only one who does not know of these earth-shattering events, he is the only one who does know the meaning of all that has taken place.

“What things?” – Jesus feigns ignorance. This simple question of Jesus leads to a lengthy explanation.

Cleopas summarizes the events of Jesus’ life, leading to his death. The death of Jesus, which was indeed the fulfilment of all hope, is seen by Cleophas as the frustration of their hope. He also narrates the report of the women, and concludes with an emphatic statement, “But him they did not see.”

“O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe…” - Jesus brings the irony to an end and reveals himself and the meaning of the resurrection to them. In his explanation, Jesus insists that suffering was a necessary condition for the resurrection.

“He appeared to be going further” – While on the surface, it seems that Jesus did not want to intrude on their plans. On a deeper level, it reinforces the idea that Jesus never forces himself on others. Jesus always leaves the other free. Faith must be a response to God’s constant revelation and grace.

“Stay with us.  So he went in to stay with them” - Jesus accepts the invitation offered by the two disciples.

“took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.” – These are the same verbs that are used at the feeding (9:16) and at the last supper (22:19). Jesus the guest becomes the host.

“And their eyes were opened and they recognized him” – At table they saw who the stranger was. Sharing bread with a stranger makes the Lord present.

“and he vanished from their sight” – God cannot be captured only by the external senses. We need to encounter him also in our hearts.

“Did not our hearts burn within us..?” – Any encounter with Jesus cannot leave one untouched.

“And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem...” – The Gospel of Luke begins and ends in Jerusalem, and the journey to Jerusalem dominates the ministry of Jesus. The return journey is narrated very briefly. This could also indicate the urgency of the disciples in wanting to communicate to the others their experience of Jesus. It was an experience that they could not contain in their hearts, but had to share with others.

Only after the two hear of the appearance to Simon do they get a chance to share their own experience. The words “what had happened on the road” signifies the conversation that took place between them and Jesus, in which Jesus opened the scriptures to them.  “how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread” signifies the meal that Jesus shared with them.

This story of the appearance of Jesus to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, which is found only in the Gospel of Luke, speaks about the failure of two disciples to recognize their fellow traveler. The moment they recognize the Lord, he disappears from their sight. The story is for the sake of those who will believe without seeing. It tells us that the presence of the Lord can be known in experiences that transcend the events of the resurrection appearances. It tells us that, even in the darkest moments of our lives, when we are tempted to throw up our hands in despair, when we are tempted to give up, the Lord is walking by our side. We have only to “open” our eyes to see. Emmaus is not simply a geographical location. It is a place to which we go to escape from the realities of life when we find them too hard or harsh to bear. This may be an external place (a movie theatre, out of the home, somewhere on the road) or a habit (excessive drinking) or even an internal disposition that we may adopt (giving into frustration, despair, despondency, depression, etc). Emmaus may be a feeling that life is not worth living; that everything is in vain, that it is of no use to anyone whatsoever. Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that even the wisest and bravest and loveliest decay and die, that even noble and pure ideals like love, fellowship, and freedom, have been twisted by people for selfish ends. The risen Lord meets us on this, our road to Emmaus, and assures us of his presence. He invites us not to give up or give in. He tells us that we must continue despite all evidence to the contrary, and that we must keep on keeping on. The story also warns us that the Lord will not always come in the manner in which we expect him to come and, that he may come when we least expect him.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 - Have your “tears” come in the way of your encountering the Lord? Will you stop crying today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts2:36-41; Jn 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene had seen the empty tomb and went and told Peter and the beloved disciple about it. They, too, go to the tomb and find it empty. While Peter and the beloved disciple return home (20:1-10), Mary returns to the tomb. Though John does not give any reason why Mary returns to the tomb, he, also, of all the evangelists, tells us that she stood outside the tomb weeping. This detail sets the stage for the fulfilment of the promise of Jesus that the sorrow of the disciples will turn to joy (16:20, 22). Mary sees the angels who make no pronouncement of the resurrection. In John, the pronouncement of the resurrection and ascension comes only through Jesus. The angels only draw attention to Mary’s present state. Mary’s response to the question of the angels is a plaintive cry for her “lost” Lord.

Immediately after she makes this statement, Jesus himself appears to her but, because of her tears, she cannot recognize him. While Jesus repeats the question of the angels and thus, draws renewed attention to Mary’s present state, he asks a second and more important question: “Whom are you looking for?” This, or a similar question, is asked three times in the Gospel of John. The first time Jesus asks such a question is to the two disciples who follow him (1:38). These are the first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John and so, carry added significance. The question here is “What do you seek?” The second time, the question is asked of those who come to arrest Jesus in the garden (18:4). The question in all three instances, while courteous, is a deep and penetrating question. It requires the one of whom it is asked to go deep into him/herself to search for the response. The disciples are seeking for the residence of Jesus but encounter the Messiah. Those who come to arrest Jesus are seeking for “Jesus of Nazareth” and so are thrown to the ground.  Mary Magdalene is seeking for the dead Jesus, but finds the risen Lord.

Yet, this recognition of the risen Lord is not easy for Mary to make. While in many instances in Jesus’ life, the metaphors he used were misunderstood, here it is Jesus himself. Mary is so caught up in her own desire for the dead Jesus and for what she wants that she cannot recognize his voice when he asks her two pertinent questions. It is only when Jesus calls her name that she is awakened. Though some spiritualize this scene by stating that Mary recognized Jesus since only he called her in this manner, it is not plausible, since John does not speak of the intonation or inflection in the voice of Jesus. Others interpret this scene as a revelation of Jesus as the good shepherd who knows his sheep by name. The sheep respond to his voice, when he calls to them, as Mary does here. Though this is more plausible, it must also be noted that Mary does not recognize Jesus’ voice before he calls her name, although he has asked two questions of her. It thus seems that the main reason Mary was able to recognize Jesus when her name was called was because, being so caught up in herself, only calling her by name would have awakened her from her stupor. That this seems to be the best explanation is also evident in the response of Mary on hearing her name. After addressing Jesus as “Rabbouni”, which is an endearing term, she wants to cling to Jesus. Though the text does not explicitly state that Mary held on to Jesus, his words indicate that either she was about to do so or had already done so.  Jesus will not allow this.  Mary has to go beyond her selfish interests and get used to the presence of the Lord in a new way. She need not hold onto a memory since Jesus is and continues to be.

Despite this self absorption, Jesus commands Mary to be an apostle, not merely of the resurrection but of the ascension.  For the first time in the Gospel of John, the Father becomes the Father of the disciples also. A new family is created. This means that the disciples and Jesus are related. Jesus is the brother of all disciples and the disciples share the same relationship with God that Jesus shares.

Mary does what Jesus commanded. She has indeed seen the risen Lord. This return makes new life possible for the believing community, because Jesus’ ascent to God renders permanent that which was revealed about God during the incarnation. The love of God, embodied in Jesus, was not of temporary duration, lasting only as long as the incarnation. Rather, the truth of Jesus’ revelation of God receives its final seal in his return to God.

Self pity, uncontrollable grief, and self absorption can all prevent us from encountering Jesus in the challenging situations of life just as they did Mary Magdalene. These emotions take hold of us when we misunderstand the promises of God or, when we do not take them as seriously as we ought. They arise when we give up, even before we begin, or when we prefer to be negative rather than positive about life. It is at times like these that Jesus comes to us, like he came to Mary Magdalene, and asks us to open our eyes and see that he is still with us and alive. He asks us to get used to his presence in all things, in all persons, and in all events. He asks us to be able to see him in the bad times and in the good, in sickness and in health, and in all the days of our lives. We need only open our hearts wide enough to see.

Monday, April 06, 2015 - Has Jesus risen in your heart? How will you show this today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 2:14,22-33; Mt 28:8-15

The scene which forms the text for today is found only in Matthew’s Gospel. Immediately after the women leave the empty tomb, to obey the command of the angel to tell Jesus’ disciples about his resurrection, Jesus himself meets them and thus, they are the first to see the risen Christ. Through this appearance of the risen Christ, Matthew stresses a point he made earlier through the Emmanuel prophecy (1:23) in the Mission Discourse (10:40) and in other parts of his Gospel, that Jesus would accompany his disciples on Mission. His presence with them would be a constant presence. The risen Christ, who is simply Jesus, thus stressing the continuity with the crucified Jesus, repeats the command of the angel. However, in Jesus’ command, the disciples become “brothers,” indicating that they now belong to the family of Jesus and that all the past has been forgiven. Thus, the women, besides being communicators of the good news of the resurrection, are also commanded to communicate reconciliation. Though Jesus appears as he would have in his life time, he is, nevertheless, the risen Lord as is evident in the response of the women who take hold of his feet and worship him. The risen Jesus is real but he is also new.

The second part of the text (28:11-15) narrates the bribing of the guards and interrupts the flow of the story. However, it also completes the story begun in 27:62-66 in which the chief priests and Pharisees ask Pilate to make the tomb secure and Pilate responds to their request by asking them to place their own guards, which they do. Though the guards had seen the same events as the women, they do not come to faith. They narrate to the chief priests “everything that had happened.” The height of the irony is that the chief priests and elders become the perpetrators of the very story that they accused the disciples of Jesus of possibly fabricating. The soldiers are instructed to fall in line with the story fabricated by the chief priests and elders and money is used as the lure.

The presence of Jesus is an eternal presence. It is a presence that is always there even when we try to deny it like the Pharisees did or even when we cannot feel is as tangibly as we would like. This is not only because of the promise of Jesus to his disciples and us, but also because of the fact that whenever love is made present Jesus is, whenever concern for another is shown, Jesus is and whenever we reach out in love and forgiveness, optimism and hope, Jesus is and continues to be.

Sunday, April 05, 2015 - Easter Sunday - How will you end the Gospel of Mark?

To read the texts click on the texts: Acts 10:34, 37-43; Col3:1-4; Mk 16:1-8

The director of a play wanted to involve the audience as much as possible. He tried various strategies. In one scene, the characters in the play would come on stage from among the audience. In another scene, some of the members of the audience would be invited to come on stage and be part of the play. While these strategies worked to some extent, he was still not satisfied. Finally, he came up with a brilliant idea. He stopped the play just before the ending he had envisioned, and let the members of the audience write their own endings. This is exactly what Mark does in his Gospel.

The Gospel of Mark begins with a clear sense of direction. We know right at the beginning that it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the end is surprising and even stunning. The women who witnessed the empty tomb, after the burial of Jesus, say “nothing to anyone for they were afraid”. How could Mark end his Gospel in so abrupt a manner? This ending leaves so many questions unanswered. If the women said nothing, then how did Mark come to know? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Were the women hallucinating? Did they dream what they saw, or did they really see? In order to answer these questions, which were already raised in the first century, some scribes added another ending to Mark, in which the risen Jesus appears to a variety of individuals or groups. They did this in order to round off the Gospel and give it a “reasonable” ending. It is clear that these verses are an addition and that the original ending of the Gospel was with the silence of the women.

What then would be Mark’s point in ending the Gospel in so abrupt a manner? It is very likely that Mark’s intention is that of the director who wanted to involve the audience in the story. It is very likely that Mark wants to inform all those who read his Gospel that they, and not the women, will continue the story and determine its ending. The readers of the Gospel are now the messengers of the resurrection of Jesus, and Jesus continues to go before them. This interpretation is borne out by the fact that Peter and the disciples “know” that Jesus will be raised.  They know Jesus goes before them to Galilee because Jesus himself told them this before his passion (14:28). Mark wants to inform the readers that a tomb, which is regarded as a place of death and decay, cannot contain or hold Jesus. The empty tomb is a striking symbol of the fact that Jesus has robbed death of its power. The sting of death will no longer be felt. The Gospel of Mark ends in the way it does because it is a story that is not yet over.  It is a story that continues today, even 2000 years after Jesus rose from the dead.

This is significant because this ending says to us, today, that where there was despair, there is now hope; where there was sorrow, there is now joy; where there was the cross, there is now the crown; where there was death, there is now new life.  The ending says that, even in the midst of persecution, even in the midst of seeming defeat, even when things do not go as we want them to go or as we plan them to go, we can be confident that God continues to be with us, walking ahead of us, guiding our path, and lighting our way.

This is confirmed by Peter’s speech to the members of the household of Cornelius in which he summarizes the life and mission of Jesus.  Peter affirms that Jesus has been raised and that he and others of his group are commissioned to be witnesses of this fact. The raised Jesus will continue his work of forgiving sins.

This is why the Colossians’ are advised to set their hearts and minds on things that are above, and not on things that are below. They have been raised with Christ and so must live those transformed lives that God has gifted to them.

This, then, is a call to each of us as well. We who believe in the resurrection of Jesus are called to continue the story begun by him. We are called to be witnesses to the fact that, in Jesus, God has given, to all who are open to receive, life in all its fullness. We are called to witness to the fact that a life lived in fear, or in selfishness, is a life that is not worth living. We are called to witness to the fact that, because Jesus walks ahead of us, hope will always replace despair, justice will always replace injustice, selflessness will always replace selfishness, joy will always replace sorrow, love will always replace fear and, life will always continue to win over death because the cross is not, and can never be, the end. This is why Mark leaves his Gospel open ended. Will we write the ending with courage and hope?

Saturday, April 04, 2015 - HOLY SATURDAY

BEING WITH MARY.

Friday, April 03, 2015 - GOOD FRIDAY - GOD KNOWS, THEREFORE, I KNOW

To read the texts click on the texts: Is 52:13-53:12; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42

The phrase “God knows” is used most often to indicate lack of knowledge on our part. When something is beyond our comprehension and understanding we use the phrase “God knows”.  And in every sense of the word we are right, because God does indeed know.

However, even as we use the phrase, I am not sure whether we really mean it. This is because sometimes we tend to lose heart, we tend to lose faith and we give in to despair and lose hope. This indicates that we do not really believe that God knows.

I want to focus on three characters mentioned in the Gospel of John and try to apply this phrase “God knows” to all three. The first of these is Jesus. Jesus has washed the feet of his disciples and is aware now that he must go to the Cross, he must go to what God knows is to happen to him. Since Jesus believes in his heart that “God knows”, he goes to his cross courageously and without flinching. This is evident in the Passion of John. Having said that, however, I want to insist, that Jesus is not a sadist. He is not looking for trouble, he is not looking for the Cross, he is not looking to die. However, Jesus does what he has to do and only after he has done that leaves the rest ion God’s hands. If being faithful to his Mission means having to go to the Cross so be it. This is because Jesus knows that God knows. Even as Jesus hangs on the cross there is no miraculous rescue, Elijah will not come to save. There is no seeming intervention and interference by God, but Jesus is confident in the knowledge that “God knows”.  Those of us who might imagine that Jesus was God and therefore could go to the Cross as he did are very much mistaken. Jesus was fully human and it was in his full humanity that he went to his cross and his death and his annihilation. He did not have any foreknowledge of the resurrection, what he had only was his FAITH that “God knows”.

The second character is that of Mary. She is regarded in tradition as a model of faith, and yet she is not a Mary who is only docile and submissive. She is the handmaid of the Lord surely but she is also courageous enough to ask questions of God and expect an answer. Yet, when she receives an answer that goes beyond her comprehension, she does not persist, but accepts like Jesus humbly and courageously. If it is God’s will that she be the mother of a condemned man, if it is God’s will that her son be crucified to a tree, if it is God’s will that she stand at the foot of the Cross of her son, then so be it. God’s will be done because “God knows”.

Two words and one conviction you must take as you leave this evening the ONE CONVICTION that GOD KNOWS.

Aristotle define humans as rational animals, Rene Descartes took it one step further and said “I think, therefore I am” (ego Cogito ergo sum). I want you to take home another revelation today, “God knows, therefore I know”.

METANOIA - A NEW MIND, A NEW HEART AND A NEW VISION. THIS IS THE MEANING OF REPENTANCE.

Where there is sin there cannot but be REPENTANCE. Our God is a God revealed in Jesus as a God who forgives before we sin, after we sin and even when we are in the very act of sinning. Repentance does not mean saying "I am sorry', but the willingness to look at everything in a new way. Since God looks at us as we are in the present, so we must look at everything, situation and person in the same way.

Thursday, April 2, 2015 - Maundy Thursday - I have given you an example...

To read the texts click on the texts: Ex 12:1-8,11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-13

The English word Maundy comes from the Latin Mandatum which means command. And the reason why Maundy Thursday is so called is because the church celebrates this as the day in which Jesus gave his love command. What Jesus was in effect doing was summarizing his entire life. In bending down to wash the feet of the disciples in Jn 13:1-13, Jesus brings together all that he was, all that he is, all that he does. With Jesus there was no dichotomy, there was no separation between his being and his doing. Jesus did who he was. Jesus said what he did. And so, on this Maundy Thursday we are called through this event of the washing of the feet, to ask ourselves some serious questions, and the first of these is “Is there a separation between my being and my doing?

Am I one of those persons who say one thing but does another? Or am I a person who does not do what he says?

Am I a person who cannot be trusted to fulfill an obligation?

Am I a person who is known for not keeping his word? Another area that we can look at, is the area of our conditional, of determined love?

Is my love barter exchange? Do I expect something in return for my love? Is my relationship with people a matter of “you give me, I give you”? Is it a matter of how much can I get out of this person rather than how much can I give?

A third theme that we can look upon during this reflection is the prophetic gesture that Jesus performs when he washes the feet of the disciples. Many interpret this gesture as an action of a slave. However, John is very clear that the washing was not before the meal as slaves would do but when they were in the midst of the meal. And even though Jesus knows that Judas is going to betray him, even though Jesus knows that Peter is going to deny him, he washes their feet. And this is what is prophetic about the gesture. First, that it was done after the meal had begun, something totally unexpected, and second, that he could wash the feet of the betrayer, of a denier and of the others who ran away. So there was nothing within the disciples that would have prompted anyone to wash their feet; there was nothing within the disciples that would have made anyone reach out to them. It was what was in Jesus that made him even to look at the disciples with the eyes, the heart, the mind, of love. And even as he washed the feet of Judas and Peter, he was loving, forgiving and accepting them. This is the true meaning of forgiveness; it is the true meaning of love, it is the true meaning of Maundy Thursday.

So, If Jesus was able to bring together his being and his doing, his word and his action, I need to ask myself whether I can do that myself. If Jesus was able to love unconditionally, expecting nothing in return, I need to ask myself whether I’m capable of such love. If Jesus was able to love, forgive, and accept and pardon even those who he knew would reject him, deny him, betray him, am I capable of such forgiveness and acceptance? This is the theme of the life of Jesus, of the ministry of Jesus and of what Jesus is calling us to do before we enter, to reflect on his passion. And we need to ask ourselves what have I done for Christ, what am I doing for Christ, what ought I do for Christ?

During this time and before we can enter the passion proper, our hearts, our minds, our whole being must get ready for this challenge. In the gospel of Lk 9:57-62, we read about the would be disciples of Jesus, those who had the intention, may be even the desire of following, but those who had excuses ready why they could not follow. Am I like those would be disciples, am I like those who are ready with an excuse why I cannot love or cannot forgive, am I like those who are ready in fact that being and doing do not coincide and so can find an excuse. Or am I going to rise up to that challenge of Jesus who invites me today to take up your cross and follow him. And even as I spoke about love and forgiveness, I want to speak about your own love and forgiveness; I want to speak about your own love for your husband or your wife, for your children or parents, for your neighbour or your colleague, and I would like to ask you whether your love is unconditional or whether it can be termed barter exchange. A very good way to find that out is to ask yourself this question – one, do I love this person? Is it because of an obligation, is it because of a duty, is it because many years ago I made a commitment in the church, and so now I have to stick to that commitment? If that is the case, then it is very likely that your love is a barter exchange. But, if your love is without any kind of wanting from the other person then it can be like the love of Jesus. And even as you are unable to forgive, I would like to direct your attention to this beautiful scene, and picture in your mind’s eye of Jesus washing the feet of Judas, looking at him possibly, looking at his eyes and seeing in there the betrayal, and yet having the ability to wash his feet and forgive. If you can think, reflect, pray and know in your heart that you are capable of such love, then you can enter with the Lord into his passion.