April 13, 2017

Holy Thurs

April 13, 2017:  Holy Thursday

See 33 connections with today?
Legend at bottom
Listen

Ubi caritas settings
Don't miss these
"Our blessing cup" / Psalm 116 settings
For Psalm 89
Jesus, anointed by the Spirit, brings good news to the poor.  Everything he proclaims is good news, full of gospel joy, the joy of those anointed with the oil of forgiveness and the oil of mission, to anoint others.  Like Jesus, the priest makes the message joyful by his whole being.  He preaches with joy that touches hearts with the word with which the Lord touched him.  Joy is best seen and shared in little things, steps that make God’s mercy overflow in situations of desolation.
"Good news" points to the Gospel's joy.  It's a mission, born of anointing.  Jesus’ first priestly anointing took place in Mary's womb.  The good news of the Annunciation inspired her to sing Magnificat, filled Joseph, and made John the Baptist leap for joy in his mother's womb.
In today’s Gospel, the joy of the Spirit renews Jesus' Anointing in Nazareth's little synagogue; the Spirit is poured out upon him.  Never try to separate the Gospel's truth, mercy, and joy.  Its truth takes shape in people's lives.  Its mercy lifts sinners up and helps them change.  Its joy is personal:  the Father's and Jesus'.  The Gospel's many and varied joys are special; the Spirit communicates them to each person in each culture.  They need to be poured into new wineskins.  Here are three images or icons of what keeps the good news fresh:
The stone water jars at the wedding feast reflect the Virgin Mary, the perfect vessel.  The servants “filled them to the brim”;  I can imagine one of them looking to Mary to see if it was enough, and Mary signaling to add another pailful.  Mary is the new wineskin brimming with joy, the Father's handmaid singing his praises.  Our Lady of Prompt Succor, after conceiving the Word of life, goes to visit and assist her cousin.  Her “contagious fullness” helps us overcome the temptation of fear, the temptation to keep ourselves from being filled, the temptation to faint-heartedness that holds us back from going to fill others with joy.
The jug and ladle the Samaritan woman carried speaks of the importance of concrete situations.  The Lord, Source of Living Water, couldn't draw water to quench his thirst, so she drew water with her jug and ladle to satisfy his thirst.  She sated it even more by confessing her sins.  By mercifully shaking the vessel of her soul, the Spirit overflowed on all the people of that town.  The Lord gave us another new vessel full of this concreteness in Mother Teresa.  He told her, “I am thirsty” and said, “Come, take me to the poor.  Be my light.  I can't do it alone.  They don't know me, so they don't love me.  Bring me to them.”  Starting with one person, she brought the good news to them with her smile and way of touching their wounds.
The vessel of the Lord’s pierced Heart, his humility and poverty, draws all people to him.  From him we learn that announcing a great joy to the poor can only be done in a respectful, humble, humbling, way.  The Spirit teaches “the whole truth” and can do it one sip at a time.  The Spirit always tells us what we need to tell our enemies, illumining our every step.  This meekness and integrity gives joy to the poor and revives sinners.
May the good news find in us the “contagious fullness” Mary radiates, the “inclusive concreteness” of the story of the Samaritan woman, and the “utter meekness” whereby the Spirit wells up and flows from our Lord's pierced heart.
Read

 Chrism Mass
    Animate
  • Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.  God has anointed and sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners, announce favor and vindication, comfort mourners.  I'll make a covenant with them.  You'll be named priests/ministers, blessed, and rewarded.
  • Ps 89:21-22, 25, 27  "For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."  I have anointed David, my servant and will exalt him.  My faithfulness and mercy shall be with him.
  • Rv 1:5-8  Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and ruler of all.  He loves us, freed us from sin, made us into a kingdom of priests....
  • Lk 4:16-21  Jesus went into the synagogue, read the scroll "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...", and said “Today this passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Mass of the Lord's Supper
  • Ex 12:1-8, 11-14  Lord to Moses and Aaron:  “Tell the community:  On the 10th of this month, procure a year-old lamb, keep it till the 14th, slaughter it at twilight, apply its blood to your doorposts, roast and eat it, with unleavened bread, like those in flight.  It is the Passover of the Lord, when I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn and judging Egypt's gods.  When I see the blood, I will pass over you.
    "As I have done for you"
    (Animate)
  • Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18  "Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ."  In return for the good God has done, I'll take up the cup of salvation and call upon him.  Precious in the Lord's eyes is the death of his faithful.  I am your servant; you have freed me.
  • 1 Cor 11:23-26  Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  Then he took the cup:  “This is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this in remembrance of me.”  Whenever you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
  • Jn 13:1-15  Jesus loved his own to the end.  He rose from supper, poured water, and washed and dried the disciples’ feet.  Peter / Jesus:  “Are you going to wash mine?” / “You don't understand now but will later.” / “Never!” / “Unless I do, you'll have no inheritance with me.” / “Then my feet, hands and head too.”...  He said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?  If I, master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s.  As I have done for you, you should do.”
    Reflect
      • Creighton:  The disciples must have been breathless as Jesus washed their feet.  Knowing he'd soon say good-bye, he wanted to express himself tenderly.  Peter tried to resist, but Jesus persisted so they'd later wash others' feet.  When Pope Francis washed and kissed the prisoners' feet, some wept, touched.  No matter what brought them to prison, he bowed over them and washed and kissed away their pain.  When someone shows love and care for us when we're vulnerable, we're often moved to tears.  When we're loved like this, we're moved to love others.  May we open our hearts to God who will wash our pain away, then may we find ways to wash others' pain away.
        As Jesus Commanded
        Fr. Bob Gilroy, SJ
      • Passionist:  John presents Jesus as in charge, fully aware, ready to enter his hour of glory and our salvation. “As I have done for you, so you should also do” invites us to serve one another.  Washing another's feet is an intimate, vulnerable act.  What part of us do we hide and don't feel ready to bring to light for Jesus to wash?  Can we allow him to clean us?  Our call to service is an expression of the love Jesus offered us.
      • DailyScripture.net:  "Jesus' supreme humility":   Jesus' reveals the humility that shaped his love in performing a servant's task, washing smelly, dirty feet, even though he knew one disciple would betray him and the others would abandon him.  He met betrayal and disloyalty with humility and love.  Jesus loved them even when they failed and forsook him. The Lord loves you freely and unconditionally and can set you free to love and serve others with compassion and humility.  "Jesus had the power to lay down his life, but we can't choose the length of our lives.  He, by dying, destroyed death; we're freed from death only in his death.  His body didn't see corruption; ours will, but through him be clothed in incorruption at the end of the world.  He didn't need our help to save us; without him we can do nothing.  He gave us himself as vine to branches; apart from him we have no life.  Even if brothers die for brothers, no martyr forgives sins as Christ forgave us, giving us not an example to imitate but a reason to rejoice.  Let us love one another as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Augustine's Holy Thursday sermon, paraphrased)
      Dress legend (c:  Chrism reading; s:  Lord's Supper reading)
      • 'Crown' tie bar:  The Lord sent me to place a diadem on the mourning (1st reading c)
      • 'Ruler' tie bar:  Jesus Christ, 'ruler' of the kings of the earth (2nd reading c)
      • 'Scroll' pin:  Jesus read from the Isaiah scroll (gospel c); I'll make a lasting covenant (1st reading c)
      • 'Dove' pin:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (1st reading c, gospel c)
      • 'Hands' pin:  "I've anointed David that my hand may always be with him" (psalm c); I received from the Lord what I handed on to you (2nd reading s); devil induced Judas to hand Jesus over; “not only my feet, but my hands and head too” (gospel s)
      • 'Rock' tie pin:  "My God, the Rock" (psalm c)
      • 'Blood drop' pin:  Jesus Christ freed us by his Blood; this cup is the new covenant in my blood (2nd reading c); seeing the blood you applied, I'll pass over and spare you (1st reading s); our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ (psalm s)
      • 'Pierced hearts' suspenders:  God sent me to heal the brokenhearted (1st reading c); Jesus Christ loves us (2nd reading c); He loved his own to the end (gospel s)
      • 'Lamb,' 'sheep' tie bars:  Passover lamb, from the sheep or the goats (1st reading s)
      • Sandals (not shown):  Washing of feet (gospel s); eat Passover lamb with sandals on your feet... (1st reading s)
      • 'Airplane' tie pin: ...like those in 'flight' (1st reading s)
      • 'Feet' tie:  Jesus washed the disciples' feet (gospel s)
      • 'Phone' tie bar:  I'll 'call' on the Lord's name (psalm s)
      • 'Eyeball' pin:  "Precious in the Lord's eyes..." (psalm s); "every eye will see Christ when he comes" (2nd reading c); "The Lord has anointed me to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind (1st reading c, gospel c); "all eyes looked intently at him" (gospel c)
      • 'Wheat' pin:  Eat the Passover lamb with unleavened bread (1st reading s); Jesus took bread... (2nd reading s)
      • 'Silverware' tie bar:  Last Supper (gospel s)
      • 'Clock' pin:  Jesus knew his hour had come (gospel s)
      • White shirt:  Liturgical color of day
      Posted by at

      No comments:

      Post a Comment

      Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)