PEOPLE of GOD
4
april 2020
This Holy Week, HOME is the Holy Place
A
s we celebrate Easter this year, even though we are unable to gather in our churches, I am struck by our shared hunger for the Eucharist. We truly miss being fed at the table of the Lord in order to be the Body of Christ. Just as in their trek through the wilderness, the manna fed the People of Israel, so are we spiritually fed with the bread come down from heaven, the Bread of Angels. We also miss being gathered together as a parish family. And yet, as I have celebrated the Mass these last weeks, I have found a special bond with all of you. It is difficult to explain but in the necessary restrictions brought on by the Covid 19 pandemic, I hope that all of us have recognized a deeper truth about the Eucharist. It is captured in the Roman Canon which reads: “To you, therefore most merciful Father, we make humble prayer and petition through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Lord, that you accept and bless these gifts, these offerings, these holy and unblemished sacrifices, which we offer you firstly for your holy catholic Church.” While it is a lengthy sentence, it declares that the Eucharist is first and foremost our sacrificial act to God, our offering on behalf of and for the catholic Church. This highlights our common role in the Eucharist. We, as Church, petition the Lord to “be pleased to grant her peace, to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world.” We can see that the Eucharist is about the Church at prayer, the Mystical Body of Christ and what it means for us to be the Church. Thus, the Mass draws us to Christ, the one who grants us peace, who guards, unites and governs us, and it draws us together as the Body of Christ, the Church. No wonder we miss celebrating this precious gift together in our churches. Nonetheless, I have been inspired by those who have seen in this absence an image of the empty tomb, and who have set out to find the Risen Lord and to celebrate His Resurrection with the community. They have found in their staying at home a “monastic call” to contemplate and pray. As one Taize hymn sings during the Good Friday hours, “Stay with me, remain here with me, watch and pray” as you long for the Lord. They have realized that God dwells not only in buildings of brick and mortar but in the living stones of all who believe. Our churches are made holy and consecrated by the faithful who gather so “that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of Your Son and filled
with His Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer III). We are the gathering, the ekklesia, the Body of Christ scattered and gathered. As the canon prays, “In your compassion, O merciful Father, gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world.” Although we long to again be able to gather as the Body of Christ, we find Christ at home as we “shelter in place” and we experience unity with each other through our baptism and our concern for each other in prayer. As we now enter the Easter Season, what lesson must we take from this, our Lent of Longing? In a few weeks, on the Third Sunday of Easter, we will hear the powerful story of two disciples, confused by the events of the day, trying to return to the familiar homes they left, as they journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). I find there is much for us to learn in this journey. These two disciples struggled to make sense of their unsure and uncertain lives. We too struggle to make sense of the world today with its illness, suffering and death. No doubt they were like many who didn’t stay in Jerusalem after the crucifixion, who wanted to get away from the tragic death of one in whom they hoped. On their journey they encounter a stranger who seems ignorant of their concerns, who asks them “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” (24:17). Luke recounts their reaction as stopped in the step, with faces downcast. Cleopas couldn’t believe the stranger didn’t know, didn’t understand their plight, so he asks, “Are you the only one visiting
Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (24:18). I believe the Lord’s response here is very important. Instead of recounting what he knows he instead reverses the question, letting it fall back on the disciples and asks “What things?” (24:19). We too must reflect upon the events of our day. We must learn as pilgrims on the way to read the signs of the times. We must not be satisfied with posts on the web or the talking heads, but we ourselves must confront and ponder the meaning of our times. I am struck that the disciples’ response consists in their unrealized expectation of what they were hoping for and what they thought was supposed to happen. This is so true of us all: we script the play we want and when it doesn’t happen as we planned we are lost. These disciples blame the chief priests and rulers for their unfulfilled dreams. How often has each one of us found our scapegoats to blame? Here the Risen Lord forces us to confront the hollowness of our grand schemes in comparison to what God has prepared. If I am honest with myself, I can recall the times the Lord has helped me to see my foolishness. Jesus is the teacher who shows us the meaning of the Scriptures. We need to be good pupils and learn; now more than ever we must be learners. So what is the lesson given on the road to Emmaus? I believe it is about the real presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread. There are several important lessons for us all. 1) We must learn to invite the stranger in, to welcome the Lord in all His disguises -- “Stay
