Holy Thursday, March 13, 2008

Father Felix's Homilies

Homily, Holy Thursday, March 13, 2008

The Son of God -- who is God, stoops down to wash the mere mortals' feet. God serves. God ministers to humans. The Creator ministers to the Creature. God puts on a towel of service instead of a Robe of Majesty.

Peter protests again this embarrassing scene. That's not the order of things.  This his second time, he protests towards Our Lord. He first, protested Our Lord's report that He was going to suffer in the hands of the chief priests. He now protests Our Lord humble service.

It was embarrassing to see the Dignitary, such as Our Lord, the Messiah, to allow himself to stoop so low as to serve at table. It was embarrassing to sit and watch this unfolding. It contradicted everything humans have ever learned. In the world order, the lower minister to the higher.

If we are reluctant to serve others, especially those of lower standard of living, of lower status, of lower rungs of the social ladder, is an indicator that we are still protesting the new order of things according to Our Lord Jesus Christ, where the teacher and master are the ones who serve. The greatest are the servants of all.

If you are reluctant to tie a towel around your waist and minister to the poor, you are still maintaining the status quo. You would do just as Peter did.

Listen to how Our Lord straightens Peter's mindset. Our Lord:  If you don't do as I am doing, “you will have no inheritance with me.”  You will not be in union with me. You will be against me. You will not be in Common Unity (Common-Union) with me. You will be against me.

You can't even sit at table with me, because you thoughts are not my thoughts. We are not united in heart, mind and soul. You run contrary to me. You run against me, and you are not with me.

Peter: If that's the implication, no! Whatever you will. Douse me if you will. Don't just wash my feet, pour it all over me then; because that's the last thing I want to happen...to be away from you.

“So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” 

Right when you realize how much you are blessed; right when you realize how much privileged you are; that the more reason for you to take a basin and towel and stoop to serve somebody; right at the moment of your awareness.

The temptation is that when you realize the privilege, you start to be self-conceited, put on airs, have it run to your head; get carried away by the power, and start to lord it over others, making your boots felt; expect to be waited upon.

Not so, with Our Lord. It was when he noticed how God had handed him everything that Our Lord stripped himself of his garments that he decided to deny himself the glory and take up the form of a servant.

He had done so at the Incarnation, when he striped himself of the Robe of his Equality with God his Father taking the form of a slave. He did not deep Equality with God as a thing to be grasped at. He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, and becoming obedient even unto death, death on a cross.

He deprived himself of the power all the more (upon realizing how blessed he was with everything).

Peter did not understand this. If Peter had not seen this, the Church of Jesus Christ would not have been any different from any authority on earth. Apostles would have fought for power and control. They would have rejected each other's authority. They would have done exactly what the Generals of the Old Roman Empire did, thus bringing the downfall of the Roman Empire to its knees from within. Generals vying against each other and conniving against each other.

That is why Jesus said to Peter, you will understand later. Suffer it to happen to you now. If I do this to you while I am your Master, how much more should you? The greatest among you should be the servant of all.

Humble Service to has become the Hallmark of Christianity. To hail Christ as Lord and Master means to make oneself servant and slave of all.

The divisions with the Mystical Body of Christ are largely due to pride and self-service. None subjecting themselves to the MANDATE OF LOVE AND SERVICE TO THE OTHER.  Unless you do this you have no part with me, says Our Lord. You have separated yourself from me.

The gifted, who habitually donate their skills and talents to aid the less gifted, demonstrate the following of Jesus.

All those who look beyond themselves to meet the problems and needs of the less fortunate live out the spirituality of what the Eucharist is about -- service of one another. The greatest making themselves smallest. The strong making themselves weak. The powerful making themselves servants of all. The dignitaries making themselves slave for all.

To eat and drink with Our Lord means to offer oneself as food and drink to the hungry and the thirsty.

TOAST – CHEERS

Notice that Our Lord, instead of allowing each one present at table to drink of his own individual cup, he instead took own cup around to all present.

In Jewish meals, according to Heinz Schumann, it was customary for the president at the meal to pass his own cup to someone whom he wished to single out for special honor, thus allowing him to share in the blessing he had said over the cup -- a custom rather like the drinking of a toast.

Our Lord shares his cup with all of the disciples because he is making them all partakers in the benefits of his passion.

There is a horizontal dimension to the Eucharist.