Homily for Holy Thursday 2009

Some of the most unchristian sentiments you could see are to be found on certain Christian and Catholic Blogs on the Internet. I suppose such places give people a place to express their thoughts in a way that is not physically violent. Yet it is extraordinary how religious extremes are unearthed on the internet. It makes the lie out of that wonderful statement in of pagans about Christians in the third century "See how they love one another!" I mention this on Holy Thursday which is traditionally the feast of Christ's love revealed in the Eucharist, a day when the priesthood is celebrated as the institution which facilitates our carrying out Jesus command at the Last Supper as reported by Paul in the second reading tonight, "Do this as a memorial of me" (1Cor 11:24).

Tonight Lent ends and the Easter Triduum begins, the three most sacred days in our tradition. Tonight the gift of the Eucharist is placed in it's context of the great story of Jesus' life giving passion, death and resurrection.

Our age is noted for its claim that there is no one story that we should take as the corner stone of our lives, except perhaps the story that is science. Rather, each person is to make their own story. Make of life what they want. Even Catholics can sometimes be prone to that philosophy demanding their rights to do this or that regardless of the rest of the community.

In the context of Holy Thursday it is particularly important tonight that we acknowledge both the children, teenagers and adults amongst us who are preparing for the Sacraments during the Easter Season. They, along with us, listen and heed Jesus command, "Do this in memory of me". For us this is part of Jesus' new commandment of love that shapes and directs our lives.

In the Gospel from John we read tonight, Jesus spells this out in a particular way by washing his disciples feet. He tells them they should do the same for each other following his example. In a very practical way he shows how low he is prepared to stoop to love those he has chosen. He shows what his sacrifice on the cross means. It is a parable in action. Far from each deciding their own life's values the disciple of Jesus gives his or her life for the other. It is in that dying to self that life is found. That is a paradox we find hard to grasp whether we be teenagers wanting to go to any lengths to go clubbing against their parents wishes or an elderly person in a nursing home struggling with the reality of being completely helpless.

Even though John does not give an account of the Eucharist this action of his of washing of feet is the story of the Eucharist. This is how we bind ourselves to act every time we come to Holy Communion. To wash another's feet is to be aware that feet are not the part of our bodies that we would prefer to caress or wash. They can smell. Yes, there are parts of us that are not attractive. Parts of us that need healing. Parts that need forgiving. Parts that need a loving touch. Jesus is prepared to do all that and more. As we celebrate the Eucharist tonight let us let Jesus love us. He challenges us to do likewise for each other.

This is very much bound up with what we call the "real presence" of Jesus in the Eucharist. That phrase does not simply mean that Jesus is sitting on a chair in front of us, present to us in that manner. His presence is not a static one but an active one. He is present as giving of his life for us. That phrase is saying that the Eucharist is a guarantee to us that the fruits of his saving death and resurrection are accessible to us now. As we partake of the Eucharist Jesus is loving us, forgiving us, healing us, nourishing us. He could have chosen anything to show us his love but he chose the sharing of food in the context of the Passover. Food that is consumed as he was consumed on the cross. We take into ourselves as food the saving Paschal Mystery. That is God's promise of the new covenant.

Our response, our side of the covenant, is to wash each others feet. In so doing our sacrifice is united with Christ's and offered to the Father. So we Catholics do not refer to the Mass only as a service of worship and praise. They are things we do. We refer to the Mass as a "living sacrifice of praise". Because the Eucharist is first of all something Jesus does. It is Jesus' prayer and we are taken up into it. There are no spectators. There are only living stones making up the body of Christ. What we celebrate over these three days is the story, the cornerstone that directs and shapes our lives together.

Fr Graham