Maundy Thursday Homily

Preached at the Mass of the Lords Supper 

in St. Timothy’s, Parish of Caerau with Ely

Exodus 12.1-8,11-14; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26 & John 13.1-15

We begin our Triduum celebrations tonight. Although we are celebrating over 3 days we are really entering into one act of worship that we celebrate across the principal liturgies of each day. Our liturgies are dramatic and very different from our usual weekly celebrations of the Eucharist. 

In these services we are called to enter what Pope Francis calls “the heart of the mystery of our salvation.” This journey into the heart of the mystery of our salvation is both an individual and personal one, as well as, a corporate one. 

Over these next 3 days we are called to REMEMBER, to STAY, and to REJOICE.

Tonight’s liturgy is very much about REMEMBERING. 

In our readings we have heard the Passover story - a story of liberation from oppression. Then St. Paul’s very terse account of the Eucharist and finally St. John’s account of Our Lord’s last night with his disciples before his arrest.

The events recorded in our gospel reading are shocking, unnerving... or at least, they should be! 

The disciples struggled to comprehend what was going on and so might we. Do we understand what is being shown to US on this night? 

We are called, not to merely recall these events from some distant past. Tonight is not a history lesson. We are called to ‘Anamnesis’ - the Greek word, often translated into English as ‘remembrance’ or ‘memory’ but these English words do not convey the full depth and meaning of the original. We are called to make these events present and real to us. To enter into them and let them become not just a story about Jesus but a part of our story too.

So let us spend a few moments thinking about our gospel reading. 

There are some odd things we may miss...

v2 *During* supper - he washes their feet - Jesus, who is LORD and MASTER stoops to wash the disciples feet. This is a deliberate and powerful symbolic action delivered at an unexpected moment.

Peter and Jesus’ interaction is instructive.

v8 Peter says “You shall never wash my feet”  - literally in the original Greek, “You shall not wash my feet even unto eternity.” He is pretty adamant.

To Peter this act is an outrage, Jesus simply cannot do this! 

Our Lord’s response is “If I do not wash you, you can have no part in me.”

Then Peter, as usual, goes a little bit over board. v9

Here God, the creator of all, comes to us. To wash us. To make us clean. The divine glory is revealed in this act of love, service and profound humility.

Maybe we are ready to be humble before God, maybe. BUT are we ready to receive from God? Are we ready to receive from the God who humbles himself before us? 

**HUMILITY begins when we are ready to RECEIVE service, not just give it** 

Or does our pride get the better of us? 

We have to admit that we can do nothing of ourselves to save ourselves. It is ALL God’s work and gift. And before we can serve others, WE must let Christ serve us! (“If I do not wash you, you can have no part in me.”)

It is the humble God who comes to us. And on the cross, the humiliated God who saves us. Strange and wonderful and yet also threatening to people obsessed with power and control. Turning the world system upside down.

Tonight’s gospel is also an acted parable, it can be read allegorically. The reference to ‘laying aside his garments’ alludes to the incarnation. The washing to Holy Baptism. The meal to the Eucharist. These are where we receive from Christ, where we share in Him.

We come to Christ with nothing to offer but being open to receive from Him. And in receiving from Him we are transformed, renewed, brought into relationship. We are made His disciples, His friends, His sisters and brothers.

Bishop Rowan Williams says “Being disciples means being called to see (others) from the perspective of an eternal and unflinching, unalterable LOVE.” 

This is the call to US from Our Lord on this night. Can we? Dare we?

I want to finish with this sonnet from the priest & poet, Malcolm Guite.

It is called ‘Maundy Thursday.’

Here is the source of every sacrament,

The all-transforming presence of the Lord,

Replenishing our every element

Remaking us in his creative Word.

For here the earth herself gives bread and wine,

The air delights to bear his Spirit’s speech,

The fire dances where the candles shine,

The waters cleanse us with his gentle touch.

And here He shows the full extent of love

To us whose love is always incomplete,

In vain we search the heavens high above,

The God of love is kneeling at our feet.

Though we betray Him, though it is the night.

He meets us here and loves us into light.

(repeat last 4 lines)

Amen.

The Paschal Triduum

Tomorrow the Church enters the Paschal Triduum, 3 days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday & Holy Saturday. 

These 3 days are the beating heart of the Christian liturgical year. Although 3 days they form a single journey with Jesus through his final hours. The events of the Last Supper, the garden of Gethsemane, his arrest and trial, his passion and death on the cross, his decent to the dead and through to that first Easter and his glorious Resurrection. 

Here’s a photo from the 2016 Easter Vigil, the blessing of the fire at the start of the vigil. I look forward to joining the parish priest Fr. Jesse and the parish of Caerau with Ely for the Triduum again this year.

Palm Sunday Homily

Palm Gospel: Mark 11.1-10;
Mass readings: Isaiah 50.4-7; Philippians 2.6-11 and Mark 14.1-15.47

“Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Philippians 2.6

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today has several readings, including the long reading of St. Mark’s Passion Narrative. They each need space to be read and heard, so todays homily comes at this earlier place in the liturgy and I will endeavour not to add too many more words.

I’ve read an newspaper article and a blogpost this week that shared the same theme and they have set the theme for my homily this Palm Sunday.

Firstly the blogpost by a 30-something pastor. It was the title that grabbed my attention: “Make the Church weird again.”

And then a couple of days later, I read an opinion piece in the Guardian, discussing the decline of Christianity in the UK, especially amongst young people.

The author had some interesting things to say:
“Rather than being just a slightly rubbish version of the world, maybe the church needs to embrace its weirdness.” (unpack a bit)

Also,

“Young people rejecting religion is not bad news for Christianity:
the faith needs to embrace its weirdness and mystery.”

Maybe you don’t think Church and the Christian faith is weird, but to many people it is! But, weirdness, strangeness, otherness and mystery are NOT things to be avoided. But, entered into, be explored, given time and even some serious thought. They are not virtues in themselves but when part of the authentic witness and worship of the Church, combined with truth, beauty, love and invitation they can be powerful.

Even our language this week is strange to many. When most folk hear talk about passion, they probably don’t think about suffering! Yet that is the root meaning of the Church’s use of Passion - though this week is also a wonderful act of love.

We rightly believe “Fides querens intellectum” “Faith seeking understanding” (Anselm) but it begins with faith, with a simple trust and a willingness to follow Jesus.

And Holy Week is all about following Jesus. In his last week, we go from entering Jerusalem, to the Last Supper, his arrest and trial, his crucifixion and death before we reach that first Easter morning.

The events of this week can be difficult, emotional, certainly strange, violent and tragic - and yet through it all - God is at work! Bringing salvation, bringing healing to humanity and the whole creation.

The Eastern Orthodox Troparion for ‘The Sunday of the Palms’ says:

O Christ our God, thou didst before thy very Passion confirm the truth of the general Resurrection, by raising Lazarus from the dead. Wherefore we also, like children bearing the symbols of triumph, cry out unto thee, the vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

(Pause)

I don’t know how your Lent has been? Mine has been variable.

However good, or not, it has been so far. Let us now take a step back, refocus, and enter the great mystery of our salvation by walking with Jesus through this Holy and Great Week.

Come to church - each day if you can - but especially over the Triduum, 3 days and 3 main services but really one extended liturgy taking us through Maundy Thursday; Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

Enter the strangeness of these events, embrace the weirdness and mystery of our worship and walk with Jesus trusting that God is also with you.

Let us journey with Jesus, who is (in the words of Philippians) the form (morphes) of God, or as Colossians has it, the image (eikon) of the invisible God.

May we journey this Palm Sunday and throughout this week, from Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and from there to the foot of the cross and beyond.

That we might see and know and say with the Centurion: “Truly, this man is the Son of God”

Amen.