Holy Saturday is unquestionably the most important night in the Christian year. If we had to choose which is number two, would we pick: Christmas, Pentecost, or Holy Thursday? Many would pick tonight, Holy Thursday -- a night when Jesus got down on his knees and washed his disciples feet, a night when Jesus transformed the traditional, Jewish Seder Meal into the wondrous banquet that will lead right into an even greater eternal banquet when we join him and so many others in heaven.
This evening I would like to talk about our spirituality derived from Jesus’ presence in the word and sacrament of Eucharist.
Someone “being there for you” in crisis ranks near the top of human needs. We come to appreciate the value of something when we no longer have it. Like air when we are gasping for breath; like water, when we are parched; like friends when there is crisis. And then, there is Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane when he asked Peter, James and John to be with him, to “be there for him,” . . . and they fell asleep. And even more difficultly -- when Jesus needed his father and prayed: “my god, my god, why have you forsaken me? And there was no audible answer.
Saint Francis de Sales is called “the architect of the second Vatican Council.” Among other things, Francis pioneered the insight that the mass is the center of all spiritual events. Francis said that Eucharist is like the sun that is the center, around which all other spiritual events revolve, like planets. Prayer is in one orbit; spirituality itself, in a second orbit. Both Vatican II’s Constitutions on the Church and Liturgy echo Francis’ insight 400 years later.
Why is this singular event of mass the top priority in our church? In the words of Aiden Cavanaugh, while it’s true that we do liturgy, it is truer that liturgy does us. This happens only if we bring our presence into his presence and listen. [We recall that obedience comes from the Latin ob+audire and means literally, “to listen carefully.”] Mere, physical presence in church does not do it. What does? At Mass, we need to stand naked before god who knows us completely and still loves us just as we are. But, entering Eucharist with a mind that is set, entering without openness to surprise is a perfect prescription for boredom, for futility. We first pray for help in discerning and then open ourselves to God’s healing presence in both the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
In being open and in listening to what the readings say to us in the liturgy of the word, we discern god’s will for us. When we come to Eucharist, we have many concerns that we bring with us like baggage. Listening to the readings at Mass in the light of our concerns often brings clarity in integrating god’s word and our concerns. Jesus is “there for you” in helping to integrate your life and his word.
In addition to addressing our personal baggage, our needs, we also bring our need to grow in love more deeply with our lord and our neighbor.
In an age and culture that sees the self, the individual, as the center of the universe, we realize the prevalence of selfishness. At Mass we can listen to the readings and to seek God as our center and hear about his love for our neighbor and realize we are called to help. The word of God in Eucharist widens our vision beyond ourselves to the struggles of others. Awareness leads to action in good hearts.
When we look to the liturgy of the Eucharist, we see that just as bread and wine are transformed into Christ’s body and blood, so too can we become transformed into more deeply committed people of God. “We are what we eat.” In the Eucharistic prayer, we actively engage in the making part of us memories of Jesus, his life, his death, and his resurrection. We pray the Eucharistic prayer with the presider and we affirm it with a sincere “amen” as he concludes. We share the peace we have with others at the sign of peace and then reverently receive Jesus’ body and blood.
Jesus is “there for us” as we bring our attentive presence into his attentive presence in moments following communion. These are moments of intimacy. The real presence of Christ within us is also a challenge, reminding us to be present to others as fellow pilgrims on our mutual journey through life.
Our spiritual life is not a privatized part of life, not a life spent away from our “real” lives. Our spiritual life of interiority integrates our ups and downs, our victories and defeats; spiritual life is essential to an integrated life that is fully human and fully alive. It is both a means and an end to Living Jesus in its most intimate moment.
Eucharist is a communal action of our community. Our father and the spirit work to encourage and draw us in every department of our lives into Christ’s paschal mystery; that is, his dying and rising. It is precisely through the enactment of the word and the enactment of the paschal supper that we are remade in God’s image and likeness. That is making Eucharist our central event. That is the reason why we do it.
If you resonate with this intimacy, praise God! If you do not, may these words serve as a challenge to you!
We are restored to new life through him, with him and in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit in this divinely devised, wonderful sacrament of unity.
