HOLY THURSDAY 2012 by Msgr. Eric R. Barr, STL
I. Confusion
A. We spend most of our lives in confusion--isn't that right? Never quite understanding which way our lives are going. Never quite understanding our spouse or our kids. Never quite figuring out if God is close, far away, or if he really exists. We spend most of our lives in confusion. B. Even when things get clear for us, like when we attend a wedding, or see a new born baby, or get together as a family, or take part in a winning sports event, we still are haunted with confusion. If we go to a wedding, part of us is excited and happy, but we miss those early times of love when things between man and woman seemed simpler. If we see a new born baby, we rejoice but often in a bittersweet way as we long for the times when our own kids were just kids instead of adults with problems like us. If we get together as a family we are happy to see everyone, but confused when we still feel grudges or jealousies we thought we had put behind years ago. If we take part in a winning sports event, we are ecstatic but a bit melancholy remembering our own lost youth. In this life, confusion and uncertainty fog the best emotions and the clearest thoughts. C. It's that way with our faith too. We always think religious faith should be so clear, so easily accessible, but it's not. And the Scriptures tell us that tonight. In the two biggest events in the Bible, confusion reigned. 1. The Israelites were not entirely sure that the Angel of Death would pass over them. They had sprinkled the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and now they waited. Their God was helping them, but God had been pretty quiet for the past few hundred years and now that he was close, they weren't so sure what that meant. And yet, imagine their relief when they found they lived, they were free, and they went into the desert. But imagine their confusion when they were pursued by Pharaoh right to the banks of the Red Sea. And then, wonder of wonders, using God's power, Moses parts the Sea and the People walk on dry ground. When they reach the other side, they look back and see their pursuers coming. Confusion again. Saved only to be killed at last? But God sends back the waters and the soldiers perish. The event of Passover ends with the people exhausted and alive, but wondering who is this God with such power to free them. 2. On the night before Jesus dies, he has supper for the last time with his disciples. It is a Passover meal. And the disciples are confused. They've heard him talk of his approaching death. Their hearts are filled with sadness on this holy night. How can one so powerful--he raised Lazarus; he healed the blind man; he fed the 5000--how can one so powerful be conquered by evil? They are confused. And Jesus knows their pain. And he gives them Eucharist. He says holding the unleavened Passover bread, "This is me; this is my body which tomorrow will hang upon a tree." He says holding a cup of the sweet red wine, "This wine is my blood which will flow from my side tomorrow at Calvary on the Cross where I die." Confused, the disciples do not know what to make of this. Why should they do this in memory of Jesus; why should they remember such a horrible death? They are confused for they do not know what Jesus knows. Like the lamb's blood on the doorposts of the Israelites protected them from the Angel of Death, so Christ's blood will save all people who are washed in it. What Christ knows this night and his disciples do not is that fear and confusion will drive his friends away this night. Few will stand at the foot of the Cross tomorrow. Few will be there to see the hope of the world die. Few will hear the centurion say, "Clearly this man was the Son of God. Few will witness the Savior of the world save the world. And yet he dies for us all. And so on this night he gives us a sacrament--the Eucharist--so that anyone who eats his body and drinks his blood at the Eucharistic meal will experience being at the foot of the Cross. They will be washed in the blood of Christ. They will be saved from sin, death, and evil as surely as the Israelites were saved by the blood of the lamb on their doorposts in Egypt. Christ gave us this sacrament so that he would not be alone on Calvary, so that we could be with him, so that we would never be alone in our confusion again. II. Experiencing Salvation A. So many times we think that life just doesn't make sense, that God is far away. So many times we are afraid because we have made bad choices, because we don't believe enough. So many times we are just confused. The Eucharist was given to people like us.
C. Nothing could be more confusing, frightening or wondrous than what happened on this night 2000 years ago. And yet, what happened, saved us all. Often confused and unsure like the Chosen People were, like the disciples were, we thank Christ for the gift that clears away the mist of confusion and the fog of indecision. The Eucharist gives us the strength and power to come together and stand as a people, as a Church, knowing that we are saved, that God is with us, and that we will never be alone.
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