Sermon: Easter III RCL B - "Planting Seeds"

The Podcast can be found here.

Luke 24:36b-48

While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

In the Far East the emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided to do something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, ""It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The children were shocked, but the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today--one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor."

One boy, named Ling, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still nothing in Ling's pot.

He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.

Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. He thought, "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"

Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

Jesus said, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.... repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed.”

Our Holy Mother Church is a very interesting creature.  It is spread out across time.. geographical boundaries.. socioeconomic levels.. racial barriers.. theological differences.. and on and on the list can go.  Across the globe there are approximately 38,000 Christian denominations... over 300,000 missionaries... 83 million bibles distributed every year... about 6 million different books in print on Christianity.. and on average 171,000 Christians are martyred every year because of their faith... Christianity IS the largest worldwide religion with about 2 billion adherents.... Jesus said that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in His name, but I had to wonder... Do you think all those folks.. books.. denominations.. etc.. are proclaiming that message?.. or have we all found our own seed, watered and nurtured it and on the last day intend on bringing before the Lord what we have grown.. or.. what He has directed us to grow?

Our Holy Mother Church is indeed a very interesting creature.  The world tells us we must be relevant, so we replace altars with movie screens and sermons with YouTube and PowerPoint presentations.  We say that time is precious, so we allot one hour per week to worship of our God.  Liturgy is considered archaic, so instead of incense some have gone to a kite on a stick that they swirl around inside the sanctuary to symbolize the Holy Spirit.  We even now have liturgical dance, but I don’t know what that is.. and the day I start pulling off my best John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever while serving at the altar is the day you all need to get up and move quietly towards the exit!

Now, don’t misunderstand, I’m not knocking these things.  If they convey the message of repentance and forgiveness, then they are serving a purpose.  After all, the original intent behind the stain glass window was not to have pretty picture, but instead to convey the message of Christ to those who were illiterate.  Older churches are massive and have these high vaulted ceilings, not o say, “Oh, look how special we are!” but to convey the transcendence of God.

My point - Yes, Fr. John, please get to the point - My point is that Jesus gave us one mission and that was to proclaim repentance and forgiveness... “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”... So the question for us is not whether or not we are a liturgical church, slinging incense, ringing bells and doing our weekly aerobics,  the question for us is whether or not we are going about the business of completing this Christ ordained mission of proclaiming repentance and forgiveness in His Name.... Are we planting the seed that has been given to us by God, or are we substituting it for one of our own?

Truth is... we don’t need any of this... we don’t need smells, bells, vestments, kites or dancing in the aisles... Why?  Because the message of repentance and forgiveness.. the message of God’s great love for His children, for me, for you.. for all those that wouldn’t even consider darkening the doors of this church or any other church for that matter is an irresistible message if it is rightly proclaimed.. and that message is not first proclaimed by our Holy Mother Church.. but by you.

It is proclaimed by every word that crosses your lips.  If you curse the stranger, then the church is cursing the stranger.  If you gossip, then the church is gossiping.  If you speak evil of one another, then the church is speaking evil of one another.. and not only is the church doing all these things, but Jesus is also perceived as doing these things, for Jesus is in you.

My ego would like to go into a self-righteous rant on this topic, act like I’m not guilty of such activity, but I know the truth.. we all fall into such activities, but if we are not careful, these activities become habits.  They become who we are seen as.. who the church is seen as.. and who Jesus is seen as... and no longer is the message of repentance, forgiveness, and love proclaimed.. instead, the message is one of our own making and nowhere near as attractive.

Thomas a Kempis asks, “why do we talk and gossip so continually, seeing that we so rarely resume our silence without some hurt done to our conscience?”  He answers, “We like talking so much because we hope by our conversations to gain some mutual comfort, and because we seek to refresh our wearied spirits by variety of thoughts.  And we very willingly talk and think of those things which we love or desire.. or else.. of those which we most dislike.  But alas!” he says, “it is often to no purpose and in vain.”

When speaking to one another.. and to others... remember that you are to be proclaiming that message of repentance.. of forgiveness.. that irresistible message of love.. so when speaking ask yourself, “Whose seed am I planting caring for?”.... Or.. should I say, BEFORE speaking to one another and to others.. ask yourself, “Whose seed WILL I plant and care for?”

Let us pray... Heavenly Father, author and inspirer of all things holy, hear our prayers for our new Church.  Send forth Your Spirit that we may humbly be guided by your Divine Will.  Touch our hearts with true generosity to raise up a house of God for the inspiration and renewal of all your faithful.  We ask this in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

April 2012 SJARM Newsletter

April 15th - Bishop's Visitation

Join us this Sunday as we welcome

The Right Reverend C. Franklin Brookhart, Jr.

IX Bishop of Montana

Service times:
9:00 a.m. at St. James' in Deer Lodge

11:15 a.m. at St. Mark's in Anaconda

4:00 p.m. at St. Andrew's in Deer Lodge

In Butte, Shirley Turley will be sharing her story at 9:00 a.m. at St. John's and again at 10:45 a.m. at St. Mary's.

Sermon: Easter Sunday

The Podcast can be found here.

John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Old Blind Broussard and his Seeing Eye dog were sitting on the dock behind Pierre’s Oyster Bar and Bait Shop when Thibideaux pulled up.

“Hey Broussard, I ain’t seen ya in a while. Where ya been?” Thibideaux asked as he tied off his boat.

“Thibideaux my friend, I ain’t seen you in a while either. I’ve been on an adventure!” Broussard replied.

“What kind of adventure can a blind man go on?” Thibideaux asked.

“Well, I went bungee jumping,” Broussard replied.

“Bungee jumping? For true? How was dat?” Thibideaux asked.

“It was lotsa fun, but I can’t go no more,” Broussard said.

“Why’s dat? Did ya hurt yer self?”

“No nothin like dat,” Broussard said, “It just scared the hell outta my dog!”

Scripture tells us that Jesus and his disciples “came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.  He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”..  He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” .. Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”

So often in Holy Scripture, blindness is used as a physical condition that is pointing to a spiritual condition.  In the passage, Jesus was demonstrating that the people understood a bit about who he was, but not fully – I don’t know that it is necessarily a compliment to be compared to trees walking around, but it shows that we can on occasion be a bit thick.

In the resurrection account from John’s Gospel that we read this morning, we also have an apparent case of spiritual blindness.  Peter and John have their foot race to the empty tomb.. not finding Jesus, but only his grave clothes, they apparently leave… Following close behind is Mary Magdalene.  She is standing there alone, staring into the empty tomb and crying… she sees two angels sitting at the head and foot of where Jesus had been lying, when suddenly she hears a voice behind her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"… She turned, but did not recognize Jesus, she thought he was the gardener… so turning and peering once again into the darkness of the empty tomb she says, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.".. at which point Jesus speaks her name, “Mary!” and then.. in the speaking of her name she knows her Teacher.. she knows Jesus.

What was it though that prevented her from recognizing him right away.. after all.. as we said, she had been with him for quite some time?  Two reasons are obvious – and both point to her seemingly physical blindness and her certain spiritual blindness. 

The first reason was that she was crying… through her tears she could not see..  Like the blind man that only saw trees at first.. demonstrating those who only partially understand.. Mary had only partially understood the things that Jesus had been saying before his crucifixion... as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth…. ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’… ‘After three days I will rise again.’… She had heard these things, but did not understand.

The second reason for not recognizing Jesus was the simple fact that she was not looking at him.  Where was she looking?  Well, except for a quick glance, she was looking into the grave… she was looking into death.

It was only when Jesus called her by name.. “Mary!”.. that she was able to come out of the darkness of her blindness and the scales were shed from her eyes.. that she was able to see clearly.. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”.. and in that instant the full Light of Christ came pouring into Mary’s soul.

Mary Magdalene was not the only one who experienced spiritual blindness.. we too often have this unfortunate malady and for the same reasons as Mary … For one, we cannot see clearly, we fail to understand, because we try and look at the world through our own tears.  We see the pain and suffering of others and of ourselves and we think, “This is it… this is as good as it gets,” but, like Mary, we also don’t fully understand the teachings of Jesus.. I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am… There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”… “Behold, I make all things new.”

And secondly, like Mary, our spiritual blindness is because we also aren’t looking at Jesus.. we’re still staring into the grave… we are looking into our past.. what has been.. We consider our lives and we believe that all is lost.. we will never be “good enough”… we see our own death and fail to recognize that the empty tomb we are staring into has nothing to do with death!.. It is all about LIFE… eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Since the first days of creation.. when God knew you even before the world was created.. like Mary, He has been calling out to you by name.. calling you out of the darkness.. out of your own blindness.. and into the light.  Why are you still crying?  Why are you still staring into the tomb?  As the prophet Isaiah declares…

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

   and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth

   and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but.. the LORD rises upon you

   and his glory appears over you.

Allow that glory.. that light to shine upon you.. hear your name being called and be free of your blindness and walk in the full light of Christ.… but don’t stop there.. as St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, writes, “light up all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you carry in your heart,” so that others may also see.

Let us pray… I encourage you to make this prayer your own… Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.  In your Name we pray.  Amen.

Sermon: Great Vigil of Easter

Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

As I’ve told you in the past.. I like for my television programming to be intellectually stimulating… I like to constantly be stretching and growing my mind.. so I stay away from things on the History Channel or the Learning Channel.. and go straight for the meat and potatoes – America’s Funniest Home Videos with an occasional episode or two of Friends just for a good laugh – but I do watch other things as well that are equally as stimulating.  For a while I was on Mythbusters.. then I moved over to Miami Ink – especially when Kat Von D was on for a while.. followed by Deadliest Catch.  However.. now I’ve found one that I am absolutely hooked on – Ghost Adventures… With my buddies Zak, Nick and Aaron.  Zak is the front man with the weird hair.. Nick is the serious one… and Aaron is the one who acts a bit like Shaggy in Scooby Doo.

They’ve got all this really great equipment too for detecting the ghosties… digital recorders to capture EVPs – that’s Electronic Voice Phenomenon for you non-Ghost believers… there are the night vision cameras.. infrared imaging.. the works.  What is so tragic is that so often the ghost drain the energy of their cameras.. so just when they are about to capture something good like a full body apparition on tape.. the camera dies and so they just have to tell you about instead of showing it to you – I’m so disappointed for them.

The reason I mention this is because of our Gospel reading today.  Jesus has been dead and in his tomb for three days, yet now.. he is appearing to the living... Is he a ghost?  Is this the full body apparition that Zak, Nick and Aaron are always talking about, or is it something all together different?... The gospel writers are very careful about this in helping us to understand that what these women are seeing - and for that matter at all the appearances of Jesus following his resurrection - is not a ghost...

For example our gospel from today said... Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.... “they took hold of his feet”.. well you can’t grab a hold of a ghost - everybody know that.... In later appearances we are told that they also touched him... others walked down the road with him and broke bread with him... there is the time when he will meet with the disciples on the shore of the sea - and all of these things occurred after his death and resurrection.. and none of these things could have been done by a ghost -- it was the Risen Lord.. He IS alive. 

Now.. After his resurrection we know that he ascended into heaven so that we can no longer see him as he was.. and for many their response to that event is, “Well isn’t that convenient.”... a bit like the witness to a crime going missing leaving only someone else’s word that the crime actually took place... I think the lawyers would say that its all circumstantial evidence.. or something like that.

Perhaps more folks would believe that Jesus is in fact the risen Lord if they could take hold of his feet... have breakfast with him on the shore of the sea... As we read in our Gospel tonight.. Jesus told Mary “tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." and many today would ask, “Where is my Galilee that I might see Him?”... You know how I respond to that?... Open your eyes.. he is all around you... It is as St. Patrick wrote..

Christ beside me, Christ before me;

Christ behind me, Christ within me;

Christ beneath me, Christ above me;

Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;

Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;

Christ in heart of all who know me,

Christ on tongue of all who meet me,

Christ in eye of all who see me,

Christ in ear of all who hear me.

Open your eyes.... you won’t see a ghost.. you’ll see the Risen Lord... you’ll see Jesus.

Sermon: Holy Saturday

John 19:38-42

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Bishop Jack Nicholls, the Bishop of Sheffield, once asked a sixth grade girl where she thought Jesus was between Good Friday and Easter. She replied, after she had thought a little, ‘I think he was in deepest hell looking for his friend Judas.’… scripture tells us Judas was condemned.. and I believe he was… but that sixth grader was on to something…

Where is Jesus now.. in this present darkness? Where might we seek him? He is dead. “He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself freely accepting death on a cross”.. So where is Jesus? You know the words of the Creed: He suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and was buried, he descended into hell....”

That’s why this Church seems so strangely empty… The one for whom it was built, the one whose presence draws us on Sunday, is not here.

“Crucified died and was buried, he descended into hell.” Nineteenth Century Methodists removed that portion of the Creed, claiming it unbiblical. But it’s not. The First Epistle of Peter speaks of Christ’s descent into hell, called by the Church, “The Harrowing of Hell.”.. harrowing comes from a military term meaning "make predatory raids or incursions".. therefore after Christ’s burial yesterday and through today… Satan’s territory is being invaded by the one who yesterday died upon the cross…

After his death (at the hands of us good, Bible quoting religious people), when he breathed his last, Jesus, ever on the move, descended to hell. Having preached to us, the living, he descended to the dead. and is there, preaching to them and proclaiming the good news.. to those could not benefit of his life and words during their lives.

How did the church come up with such a notion? This “harrowing of hell”?

It was inconceivable to the church that only those who were living during the time of Jesus and afterword would benefit from the salvation he brought to the world.. and all those who died before his coming would be excluded from that salvation…  So everyone who had died before his coming.. all the way back to Adam and Eve.. on this day.. have the opportunity to receive his word …

He is there, doing what he does so well, preaching, teaching, touching, relentlessly seeking, persuading, inviting, announcing the love and mercy of God.  As the Psalmist says… “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell....” even Byzantine art depicts Jesus, in the jaws of hell, giving a hand to those who had died lifting them up, out of the darkness.

And though he is down there, and therefore not here, there is something to be said to those of us he has temporarily left behind. That word is this: Because I am there.. descended into the deadly darkness, confronting the enemy on the enemy’s own turf, you have hope.

If he is there – literally fighting for souls in Hell.. then we can know with all certainty that there is no darkness, sorrow, or pain we can experience, that his loving presence cannot enter into…  because if he is willing and able to risk all, to wade deep into the death we so fear and avoid, then what might he risk for you?

Do you remember the stories Jesus told about God and the kingdom of Heaven… the good Shepherd who forever seeks the one lost sheep, the faithful father who awaits the return of the one lost son, the relentless woman who does not rest until she finds the one coin (Luke 14). Jesus meant those things when he said them… and he doesn’t mind looking in hell for those righteous souls that departed this world before his arrival…

On that first Saturday before the resurrection.. the disciples, Mary and the rest mourned the loss of their savior.. but he had not truly left them.. he had only gone to complete his Father’s work.

Sermon: Good Friday

John 18:1-19:42

... When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit....

And God held in his hand a small globe.

Look, he said.

The son looked.

Far off, as through water, he saw a scorched land of fierce color.

The light burned there.. crusted buildings cast their shadows

a bright serpent, a river uncoiled itself.. radiant with slime.

On a bare hill a bare tree saddened the sky.

Many people held out their thin arms to it,

as though waiting for a vanished April to return to its crossed boughs.

The son watched them.

Let me go there, he said.

That is the poem “The Coming” by R.S. Thomas … it speaks of Jesus’ willingness to come to this world in order to save the people of God… and it expresses a love that goes beyond our ability to understand…

It also sets the stage of where we are today…

You see.. it takes a great deal of courage to truly remember the events that took place on that hill outside Jerusalem… yes.. I can recount to you the details of the crucifixion.. the process of nailing Jesus to the cross and all that… the blood.. the agony.. the cruelty of the crowd that gathered to watch…

But today.. I would like for you to set all that visual imagery aside.. and focus on the sounds… there would be the voices of all those around… the guards… people moving around.. some weeping… there would be the groans of those crucified alongside Jesus.. all that.. but I want you to block all that out… The only thing I want you to hear is the heavy labored breathing of Jesus as he hangs upon his cross… … finally he speaks… “it is finished.”… and then… there is silence.

Now… keeping that mind.. although it is painful… we must remember that it was.. the sins of the world.. our sins.. that put Jesus on the cross in the first place… we are the ones responsible for his crucifixion…

So.. I want you to imagine… that when Jesus breathes his last.. and that great silence falls.. you suddenly hear a voice.. and even though there are many gathered around you… you know that voice is speaking to you .. and it is the voice of God…

In that moment.. and in that silence.. knowing that you are responsible for the death of Jesus… what would you imagine the voice of God saying.. to you?

I think that it would be easy to hear anger in that voice… “Look what you have done!”… “What have you got to say for yourself?”… “I’m so disappointed in you.”..

I believe that it would be easier to hear sadness… the horrible screams of a parent who has lost a child… “My son.. my son.”

And finally… I can imagine words of rejection… “get out of my sight”… “I never want to see you again.”

I can imagine these responses.. because they are very human responses… they are the words that come from our mouths in times of great anger and sadness… but… the voice of God that speaks in the silence of your heart after the death of his one and only son  never even thinks.. much less says.. anything of this nature

Instead… I believe God the Father would speak words of comfort… “Everything is going to be OK now.”… “This had to happen.. just as I planned.”… “don’t be afraid.”… “remember what my son said… In three days this temple will be raised.”

There would also be words of love and acceptance… “this act of obedience by my son has bridged the gap between you and I.” … “my love for you extends beyond eternity.”… “we will be together forever… I will be your God and you will be my child”

In truth.. Scripture records no such words from God at that moment when silence fell… but no words needed to be spoken.. for the cross and the lifeless body of Jesus said it all

Here in just a few minutes… As we approach the veneration of the cross.. allow yourself to hear the voice of God speaking to you… understand that it is not brought before you as a means of beating you into submission or of making you feel guilty… it is brought in.. it is venerated and adored.. because it is God’s way of speaking and showing his love for you… it is the means by which joy came into the world…. For as the closing words of the reproaches declare… “We venerate Thy Cross, O Lord: and praise and glorify Thy holy Resurrection: for by virtue of the Cross joy has come to the whole world.”

Sermon: Maundy Thursday

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Have mercy on me, O God,

       according to your unfailing love;

       according to your great compassion

       blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

       and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

       and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

       and done what is evil in your sight,

       so that you are proved right when you speak

       and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

       sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

       you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

       wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

King David had been out on the roof of his house.. wandering around.. looking at the city around him.. and the country that he ruled.  As his eyes scanned the scenery he spotted a woman on the roof of her house – Bathsheba – she was naked and bathing.. As King David watched.. he began to desire her.. and even though she was married he devised a plan to have her… Seeing as though her husband Uriah was one of his soldiers.. he had him sent to the front lines of a great battle where he would certainly be killed.. He was.. and after the appropriate time of mourning.. David had Bathsheba brought to him and married her…

Seeing David’s wickedness.. the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David to rebuke him of his sin.. and so David confessed.. and.. during his time of penance.. David wrote the Psalm I shared with you.. and cried out to the Lord.. “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

From the very beginning of human history – when Adam and Eve – were banished from the Garden of Eden.. this cry has crossed the lips of all God’s children.. “Wash me… Wash me from my sins.. so that I might be whiter than snow.. so that I might be cleansed of my sins.”

And so.. from Adam and Eve.. to us today.. it has always been this way… but on one certain day.. ordained by God… Jesus opened the gates to another way… On that day.. Jesus began by taking on the role of a slave.. and washing the disciples feet.. Peter objected.. but Jesus insisted.. “If you are to be a part of me… If you are to be where I am going… then you must allow me to wash your feet… you must allow me to cleanse you…

Afterwards..  scripture says… While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."  Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

It is fair to say that the disciples failed to understand the significance and the relation of these two events.. but after his crucifixion and death.. they would come to understand that the foot washing was symbolic of the washing of their souls through the body and blood of Christ…  

Jesus – God – humbled himself to the role of a slave and washed their feet so that they might be outwardly clean.. Jesus – God – humbled himself to death upon a cross so that their souls might be cleansed… He showed them what it is to be a servant of all… and He showed them what it is to have love for one another.

Today.. we celebrate the gift of the most Holy Eucharist… The symbol used in the washing of the feet.. demonstrates to us the washing of our souls.. and it is the answer to our cry.. “Wash me, Lord.. Wash me.. and I will be whiter than snow.”