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Homilies are posted no later than during the week
prior to the Sunday they are needed |
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Holy Thursday
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Holy
Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper - Cycle C
1Corinthians 11, 23-26 and John 13, 1-15
A friend of the incomparable Mark Twain was trying to explain why he
had stopped going to church. "There are too many things," he said, "in
the Scriptures which I just do not understand." Mr Twain with nary a
twinkle in his eye responded, "You know, it's not the stuff that I do
not understand that bothers me. It's all those things I do understand."
I must confess I must add St Paul's first letter to the Corinthians to
my own personal list of the latter. The Apostle to the Gentile's
teaching on the Eucharist is so unqualified and so clear. I cannot
understand how people after reading St Paul and the Gospels can believe
the Eucharist is to be taken as a symbol. And, if they genuinely
believe that the Christ is present only symbolically under the
appearance of bread and wine, I do wonder why they really remain at all.
The most effective homily on Holy Thursday that I have heard was in a
small college chapel. The elderly priest reminded his listeners,
principally students, of the rebuttal writer Flannery O'Connor made to
the once Catholic Mary McCarthy. Breezily Ms McCarthy dismissed the
Eucharist as nothing more than a symbol. The young Ms O'Connor to her
amazement heard herself say to McCarthy, "If the Eucharist is nothing
but a symbol, to hell with it!"
The priest then sat down to allow his young congregation a few moment's
reflection. I was tempted to stand up and applaud him. Yet, one woman
religious present took great umbrage at the celebrant's brief homily.
She considered the priest's words too flippant and frivolous for such a
solemn occasion. Her anger I cannot comprehend to this day ten years
later.
It strikes me that the campus minister took his cue from the famous
letter of Paul of Tarsus to the small Christian colony at Corinth in
Greece. He forcefully told it like it was. As the students would say,
the Holy Thursday preacher let it all hang out. They clearly
appreciated his pointed message.
After all, what can be clearer than the words of the Master Himself
that St Paul quotes, "This is my body..." and "This is the new covenant
in my blood."! If St Paul wanted to tell the Corinthians that the
Eucharist is nothing but a symbol, then he chose very poor words. Yet,
as we know, Paul is acknowledged as a master of language. Indeed
anthologies down through the centuries prove he has very few peers.
St Paul's teaching on the Eucharist was certainly not lost to our
fathers and mothers in the faith. The celebration of today's Liturgy of
the Lord's Supper on this Feast of the Holy Thursday can be traced back
to the early Middle Ages. Some argue one can find evidence of it as
early as the fifth or sixth centuries. One can hardly posit that the
ancients were celebrating but a symbol. Rather, they were convinced
that the Eucharistic sacrifice of Jesus was, as one put it, "what God
desired and we required." It was for them the genuine article.
One Catholic pastor in the small city in which I live in New York
State's beautiful Hudson Valley told me an interesting tale. A
Methodist minister, stationed in that city, comes to his noon Liturgy
each week-day. One day I was rushing into that parish's soup kitchen to
serve lunch with some college students. I chanced to meet him. He was
wearing his Roman collar. He was under forty. We chatted for a few
moments. I did not want to presume to probe into his soul in the parish
parking lot. So I did not ask him what motivated his daily rendezvous
with the Teacher. But I wager he was not coming to that Liturgy each
noon to honor but a symbol. Rather, I take it he gave a quite literal
interpretation to Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Where he will go
from here is between him and the Holy Spirit.
If this Methodist minister takes the words of Jesus the Christ at their
face value, should any Catholic do less?
Perhaps we should all reflect on the words of Padre Pio, "If we only
knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be
present at a single Mass."
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http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
Holy Thursday
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http://www.geocities.com/seapadre_1999/
* available in Spanish - see
Spanish homilies
Holy Thursday
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Foot
Washing & Celibacy
(April 1, 2010)
Bottom line: By washing the Apostles' feet, Jesus underscores an
essential dimension of the prieshood - humble service, at the
disposition to all. We see that service and availability in the charism
of celibacy.
It is beautiful to celebrate with you this Mass of the Last Supper. I
always feel a special intimacy because those who come to this Mass tend
to be the core families of the parish. In addition to that intimacy,
the Mass has particular significance this year because we are in the
final months of the Year for Priests. Many of you have been praying for
me - and for other priests. The Christian priesthood - as I am sure you
are aware - originated at the Last Supper: At that meal, Jesus took the
bread and said, "This is my body." And with the wine, "This is my
blood." Then, speaking directly to the Apostles, he said, "Do this in
memory of me." The priesthood exists to fulfill that command: to offer
the Body and Blood of Christ as an everlasting memorial.
Jesus did something else at the Last Supper that relates deeply to the
priesthood. We heard about it in this evening's Gospel: Before the
meal, that is, as they gathered around the table, he took a towel and
basin - and started washing their feet. That gesture surprised them,
but Jesus did it for a reason - a reason that relates to the
priesthood. Jesus washed feet because he wants his priest to be a
humble servant - available to all.
Now, that's not an easy thing. I can't say I relish the idea of being a
servant - available to everyone. Nor can I tell you tonight all that it
means (and perhaps does not mean), but I would like to address one
aspect of that service: priestly celibacy. Since very early times, the
priesthood has been associated with the charism of celibacy. Priests do
not get marry and have children, but the reason is not because we don't
value marriage and family. Quite the contrary - for us as Christians,
marriage and family have a paramount value, greater than any other
human institution. A priest forgoes marriage not to avoid hassles, but
he so can serve all people - without distinction. A married man has to
put his wife - and children - first, before anyone else (except God, of
course).
For a priest it is different: The Church is his bride - and all
Christians are his sons and daughter.* Each one has equal claim on him.
He has to be available to wash the feet of all. That is the meaning of
priestly celibacy. Celibacy is a beautiful charism - and we should
treasure that gift, especially as a part of priestly service.
Unfortunately, celibacy often comes up in a negative context today. It
has almost become a reflex response, when people hear about some
problem in the church, to say, "Oh, this wouldn't happen if priests
could get married." For example: "There wouldn't be a priest shortage -
or we wouldn't have the clergy abuse crisis - if only priests could get
married."
Maybe yes, maybe no.** From my 38 years as priest, I am very aware that
- even though celibacy is not easy - that married people often make
equal or greater sacrifices. And almost no human being - married,
single, divorced, widowed - no one has an easy time living Jesus'
requirement of chastity: that is, to use the gift of sexuality only in
the context of marriage: the exclusive and lifelong union of a man and
woman. This teaching is crystal clear. You don't need to be a rocket
scientist to understand it. C.S. Lewis stated the teaching starkly:
either complete abstinence or unmitigated monogamy.*** That is, wait
till marriage and then be totally faithful to your spouse. The teaching
is clear, but hardly easy.
In living chastity - especially to never look at another person as an
object - we all fall short. And we all need daily forgiveness and grace
to get back on the right road. Sadly, we live in a culture that tells
people to just give up the fight, that chastity is an impossible ideal
- and celibacy is crazy. For that very reason we desperately need the
celibate witness. In our approach to sexuality, we have become like
lemmings rushing to the edge of a cliff.
But, you know, in spite of the negativity and pessimism today, young
people continue to hear the call to priesthood. For the past fourteen
years I have had the privilege of serving on the Seminarian Review
Committee. We interview every candidate for the priesthood in the
archdiocese. Often I am amazed at the way the Holy Spirit calls young
men.
A recent example impressed me deeply - and has a particular relevance
to tonight's Mass: This young man was seated in the congregation during
the Holy Thursday Mass. When the priest began to wash the feet of the
twelve men, the young man felt an urge to come forward, to push the
priest out the way and himself start washing feet. He knew that at that
moment God was calling him to the priesthood. The desire continued as
went through college - and now he is ready to enter the formation
program.
In few moments I will perform that gesture of washing feet. I would
love it if some young man felt the urge to shove me aside. Don't do it
- but talk to me afterward. As a priest you will have a unique
opportunity to serve - to wash the feet of others.
Some parishes have the entire congregation participate in the
foot-washing ceremony. We will not be doing that, but I would like to
encourage you to literally wash someone's feet during the Triduum. Let
me give you an example: Once a college girl was home for spring
vacation, visiting her mom and grandparents. It was getting toward
evening and she noticed that her grandmother looked tired, perhaps with
some pain and stress. She surprised everyone by asking, "Grandma, can I
wash your feet?" Then she brought a bowl of warm water and towel. As
she began to wash her grandmother's feet, the cares and anxiety seemed
to disappear from the elderly woman's face. When the girl dried her
feet with the towel, everyone could see the grandmother was totally
relaxed.
To wash someone's feet expresses great care. Jesus did that for his
disciples - and in imitation of Jesus I will wash the feet of twelve
men this evening. For me this has a special significance in this "Year
for Priests."
My main point this evening: By washing the Apostles' feet, Jesus
underscores an essential dimension of the prieshood - humble service,
at the disposition to all. We see that service and availability in the
charism of celibacy - that from the beginning has been associated with
the priesthood. Yes, the priest is a married man with children. My
bride is the Church - and you are my sons and daughters.
With that I would like to now call forward the men who will represent
the Twelve Apostles.
**********
*The priest's prayer for the Year for Priests has these beautiful
words:
May the Blessed Mother of your dearly beloved Son,wrap her mantle
around me and protect me from all evil. May she guide me to do whatever
He tells me. May she teach me to have the heart of St. Joseph, her
spouse, to protect and care for my bride. And may her pierced heart
inspire me to embrace as my own your children who suffer at the foot of
the cross.
**I do agree with those who lament the absence of mature feminine
influence in priests' lives. Prior to the late sixties almost every
parish had a live-in housekeeper (who canonically had to be
"super-adulta" - a mature, older woman. And most parishes had a corp of
no-nonsense nuns. These mature feminine influences provided some of the
"civilizing" influence that wives provide to young men.
***From The Screwtape Letters:
The Enemy's demand on humans takes the form of a dilemma; either
complete abstinence or unmitigated monogamy. Ever since our Father's
first great victory, we have rendered the former very difficult to
them. The latter, for the last few centuries, we have been closing as a
way of escape. We have done this through the poets and novelists by
persuading he humans that a curious, and usually short-lived,
experience which they call "being in love" is the only respectable
ground for marriage; that marriage can, and ought to, render this
excitement permanent; and that a marriage which does not do so is no
longer binding. This idea is our parody of an idea that came from the
Enemy.
Spanish Version
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http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
Holy Thursday
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http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/homilies/index.lasso
Holy Thursday
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http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
Holy Thursday
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http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
Holy Thursday
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Father Bonar will not be posting homilies for Cycle B to allow himself
time for other projects. His collection of homilies (including homilies
for Cycle B) is available at www.clydebonar.com.
Holy Thursday |
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These
homilies may be copied and adapted for your own use;
however, they may not be commercially published without permission of
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