Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (The Good Shepherd Sunday)

Among The Cacophonies Of  Voices, Whom Do You Listen To?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (The Good Shepherd Sunday)

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, April 25, 2021

One of the most lasting, inspiring and adorable images of Jesus in the whole Christian tradition is the image of the Good Shepherd. The painting of Jesus as a Shepherd who gathers, cares, protects and lays down his life for his sheep was actually done before the painting of the cross. In today’s Gospel taken from John 10:11-18, Jesus says of himself: I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. What’s the Lord doing? He is differentiating himself from all other shepherds, particularly the hired ones. For a hired shepherd, shepherding is purely a job. He moves from one flock to another depending on the condition of pay and service. He does not risk his life for the sheep. When he sees a wolf or a human intruder approaching, he abandons the flock and flees because he is not personally interested in their wellbeing. Jesus says he is not that kind of shepherd. He says, I am the good shepherd… He says he will risk everything including his life in the defense and protection of the flock. He says he knows his sheep and his sheep know him. By knowing the sheep, he means he knows each of their personal stories; he knows their strengths and weaknesses as well. He knows their mood, what they need and when they need it. The hired shepherd works for money, but Jesus works for love, pure love, unconditional love, love that is boundless. 

But how does the Good Shepherd connect with the sheep? By voice! Jesus says, …they will hear my voice. John Henry Newman said that sometimes a text can leave us cold but a voice can melt us. You can read an argument or a sermon from a book and it surely makes sense to you, but when someone takes the same argument or sermon and speaks it to you, the difference is always very clear. It is the hearing of the voice that makes the heart melt. The reaction I get from people when I send them text messages and emails is not the same when I give them a phone call. Hearing my voice usually evokes the highest degree of joy and gratitude. My voice communicates to them in a more powerful way that I truly care. Voice can be powerful. The amazing thing about Christianity is that it is not a set of ideas. It is not philosophy or ideology. Although Christianity uses philosophy a lot, however, it is not in itself a philosophy like Platonism, Existentialism, Phenomenology etc. Deep down, Christianity is a relationship with someone who has a voice. It didn’t start with philosophy or the speculation of a social or moral issue. It didn’t start with an abstract speculation about the stuff that all things in nature are made. It began with a small group of people who sat at the feet of Jesus of Nazareth. They heard his voice. St. Paul says: Faith comes from hearing….(Romans 10:17). The first disciples were privileged to hear the voice of the historical Jesus. As for us, how do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd today? We hear his voice when the Scripture is proclaimed at Mass; we hear it when the Bishops and the Popes speak to us. We hear the voice of Jesus in the conscience. The conscience according to John Henry Newman is “the aboriginal vicar of Christ in the soul.” For the Second Vatican Council Fathers, “the conscience is a person’s most secret core and sanctuary. There each of us is alone with God whose voice echoes in our depths.” We also hear the voice of Jesus in our spiritual friends, in the voices of those who comfort us, challenge us, call us to higher ideals, and encourage us when we fall. The voices of our moms, dads, grand-parents, priests, faith formators, teachers etc can also be the voice of Jesus speaking to us. 

Today, there are so many voices coming from songs, movies, shows, news media, social media, politicians, cultural leaders, celebrities and famous people. They are all voices representing different points of view urging us in different directions. For many young people today, the social media offer them lots and lots of voices. For many adults, your TV channels offer them lots of voices. Amidst the cacophonies of these voices, who do you follow? Whom do you listen to? If you are trained in the Christian life, you should be able to discern and recognize the voice of Jesus amidst all these competing voices.

Now, why are we listening to the voice of Jesus the Lord? Why are we discerning his voice and following him? It is true that by listening to his voice and following him, we become better people; we become more ethically upright; we begin to work for justice and peace. We begin to work for the enthronement of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “The Beloved Community.” But if that’s all to it, then it’s no different from following any guru or spiritual teacher. We listen to Jesus and follow him with all our souls because he is leading us to eternal life, to a renewed and transformed life on high with God, the life of heaven where we shall never perish. In that life, we shall see God face to face and sickness and death will no longer have power over us. We should never forget the supernatural ambition of Christianity or the final destiny of the human person. The Good Shepherd is leading us to heaven. In biblical sense, heaven and earth are always connected; there is no dualism. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” However, heaven should never be reduced to earth as though religion is simply about this worldly ethics or social justice or psychological wellbeing. Christianity is about a journey that will eventually lead to the heavenly Jerusalem, to eternal life. Everything in Christian life, from our ethical behavior, to liturgy, to the works of justice etc are all meant to lead to that end— eternal life in heaven. We listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd because he is leading us to eternal life in heaven. No one can snatch you and take you away from Jesus except yourself. Only you can refuse to listen to his voice. Only you can refuse to cooperate with him.

God Never Walks Away!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year B

Church of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul, MN

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Today’s Gospel (Luke 24:35-48) which is a continuation of the story of Jesus’ two disciples who left Jerusalem to travel to Emmaus is one of the most magnificent text in the New Testament. It is a theological masterpiece that addresses some of the spiritual questions we have. The story of the Fall of our human progenitors— Adam and Eve has a correlation with the Emmaus story. The story of the Fall provides us an important key to understanding the story of Emmaus more fully. Genesis 3 tells us that as soon as Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree, their eyes opened, and they knew they were naked (v.7). In a way, they became aware of their sin and shame. Despite their disobedience, God still comes to them and walks with them. Out of shame, they tried to hide themselves from God. Their sin has caused a deep alienation from God, yet God moves to them. The Emmaus story is about two disciples, one is named (Cleopas) but the other is not. From ancient times, it has been speculated they could be a man and his wife. We don’t know for sure. This couple were traveling from Jerusalem to a town seven miles away from the capital called Emmaus. Symbolically speaking, this is a journey away from salvation. Why? Everything was happening in Jerusalem. Jesus goes up to Jerusalem, that’s where he was crucified; that’s where the resurrection takes place, that’s where the coming of the Holy Spirit happens. Jerusalem is the center; it is where the Church has gathered. But these two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, from the Church and from salvation. Like Adam and Eve after the Fall, and like all of us sinners, they were walking in the wrong way. Just as in Genesis 3, the Lord God comes to walk with them. The most comforting message in both of these two narratives is no matter what we do, no matter how far we have wondered in the wrong direction, God comes to walk with us. God will seek us out if we try to hide from him.

Here now is the eloquent reversal between this two stories. In the Genesis story, Adam and Eve disguised themselves so that God won’t find them. In Luke’s narrative, God disguises himself. Luke says the two disciples were prevented from recognizing him. The Lord did not disguise himself out of desire to distance himself from them, rather to gradually lure them back into discipleship. With delicious irony, he asks them, “What are you discussing as you walk along? (Lk. 24:17) In response to his question, they famously talked about Jesus and the things that happened to him. Note this, their account of Jesus is quite accurate: “Jesus the Nazarene was a prophet, he was mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. Yet our chief priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him… Now some women from our group and some of the disciples have reported that he is risen from the dead” (Lk. 24:19-24). Their account and data about Jesus of Nazareth is right, but there is something they did not get right. They know the facts about Jesus but don’t see him yet. It’s like knowing about somebody and knowing somebody. You can google and read facts about somebody, but it is only when you meet that person that you come to know him. The trouble with the disciples on the road to Emmaus is that they know of the facts about Jesus, but don’t him yet. So, beginning from Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what refers to him in all the scriptures (Lk. 24:27). He didn’t just refer to two or three lines in the scripture that refer to him, he refers to ALL THE SCRIPTURES. That means, all the scriptures refer to him. All were pointed toward him. All of it finds their purpose and fulfillment in him. He, Jesus, properly understood is the solution to the problem. Jesus is the Answer! Jesus solves all the problems that started in the garden of Eden. 

Adam and Eve’s problem started with bad eating. On their own, they took of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, assumed to themselves what is the prerogative of God. It was a bad meal that caused the problem. But in the ministry of Jesus, good meals feature prominently. His open table fellowship which reaches its climax at the Last Supper is a good example. In the Emmaus story, Jesus sits down with his wandering disciples and eats with them. Whereas Adam and Eve and by extension all of us sinners aggressively took and ate the forbidden fruit on our own accord and for our self-satisfaction, the two disciples are fed by the Lord’s self-gift. After eating what happened? Their eyes were opened! (Gen. 3:7; Lk. 24:31). After Adam and Eve had eaten the bad meal, their eyes were opened; after the two disciples had eaten the good meal, their eyes were opened as well. So, what is the difference here? While Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to their shame, to their sense of sin and nakedness, the eyes of the disciples are opened to see their Savior. Right away, the understand that Jesus is in their midst. After that, what did they do? The disciples head back to Jerusalem. As for Adam and Eve, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, from paradise, that’s what sin does to us. The disciples were wandering away from Jerusalem, from the gathering of the Church, from the place of the main event. This is all of us, folks. But glory be to God who always intervenes. He joins them in their journey, uses a conversational approach to connect with them. In the end, he feeds them and finally turns them back away from their wonderland. This story sums up for us the entirety of biblical revelation. It is the story of God who is relentless in his pursuit to find us. It is the story of God who never walks away. It is the story of the transition from sin to grace, from bad eating to the right kind of eating, from wandering away to moving back to Jerusalem, to the Church. 

Bulletin Message to the Parishioners of St. Al's

Today’s Gospel (Luke 24:35-48) is a continuation of the story of Jesus’ two disciples who left Jerusalem to travel to Emmaus. Symbolically speaking, this is a journey away from salvation. Why? Everything was happening in Jerusalem. Jesus goes up to Jerusalem, that’s where he is crucified; that’s where the resurrection takes place, that’s where the coming of the Holy Spirit happens. Jerusalem is the center; it is where the early Church has gathered. But these two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem, from the Church and from salvation. Like all of us sinners, they were walking in the wrong way. Nonetheless the Lord disguises himself, approaches them, walks with them, interprets to them what refers to him in all the scriptures, and feeds them with the sign of his suffering and death— the very gift of himself. After that, their eyes were opened to see their Savior, and they started anew to walk back to Jerusalem, to the Church. Now, the Lord did not disguise himself out of desire to distance himself from them, rather to gradually lure them back into discipleship. This story sums up for us the entirety of biblical revelation. It is the story of transition from sin to grace, from wandering away to moving back to God and the Church. The good news here is that no matter how far we have wandered in the wrong direction, God is seeking us out. God wants to walk with us and bring us home. 

—Fr. Marcel 

Sunday, April 18, 2021

 

Holy Week Greeting to the parishioners of St. Alphonsus 

Greetings, sisters and brothers, 

This is Father Marcel. As we approach the Holy Week, the pivotal period we remember and participate in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, I bring you Shalom (peace) of Christ Jesus. In Jesus of Nazareth, God became a human being in order to set us free from the yoke of slavery. As we approach the Holy Week which begins on Palm Sunday, the day that Jesus triumphantly enters the city of Jerusalem, let’s not forget that Jesus also wants to triumphantly enter into the city of our lives. When he celebrates the Last Supper and inaugurates the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, he declares his deep desire to share his very life with us. When he hangs upon the cross on Good Friday, he offers to the Eternal Father the greatest sacrifice for our sin and dysfunction. When he dies on the cross, the enmity between us and God dies. As he lays in the tomb, he is definitively releasing us from the grip and stronghold of Satan. When he rises victoriously on Easter Sunday, he declares himself the triumphant Warrior who fights and wins. He wins for us. His victory is our victory. It calls for celebrations. May God bless your Holy Week. May this week become for you a week of healing at all levels— physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological. 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

2021

Homily for the Feast of Divine Mercy (Second Sunday of Easter)

Jesus Addresses The Disorder Of The Cross  

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Feast of Divine Mercy (Second Sunday of Easter)

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, April 11, 2021

As a young man, Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II had a great devotion to Sister Faustina Kowalski who died in Krakow in 1938. Sister Faustina was a young Polish nun gifted with extraordinary visions and experiences of the Lord Jesus. In one of the Lord’s visits to her, the Lord asked that a special feast day be devoted to Divine Mercy and be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. It was on the occasion of the canonization of Sister Faustina on April 30, 2000, that Pope John Paul II designated the Second Sunday of Easter to be the Divine Mercy Sunday. So, today we celebrate the great Feast of Divine Mercy. When we use the word “mercy” what does it mean? Mercy in Latin is Misericordiae, which is a type of compassion. Compassion in Latin is compassioun which means I suffer with. It is a deep, loving identification with people in their suffering. That’s mercy! Mercy is identical to what the Old Testament author refers to “God’s hesed or tender-mercy. Mercy is the characteristic of God for God is love. Mercy is not just one attribute among many, but the very essence and nature of God. The love that exists among the Trinitarian Persons is spilling over into the world. Today’s Psalm captures this so well: Let the house of Israel say, His mercy endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say, His mercy endures forever. Let those who fear the Lord say, His mercy endures forever.

Think of a mother’s love for her children. Could you imagine a mother becoming indifferent to one of her offspring? Yet, Prophet Isaiah says, even if she forgets, God will never forget his own. The greatest manifestation of Divine Mercy is the forgiveness of sin. Our beautiful Gospel of today taken from John 20:19-31 lays this truth clearly. Staying in the Upper Room were the disciples of Jesus who at the moment of truth had denied, betrayed and abandoned their Master. Seized by fear of the Jews and I will add, shame and remorse for what they did, Jesus came and stood in their midst. When they saw him, their fear intensified. He may have come back for some kind of revenge. Instead, he speaks the simple word, Shalom! which means “Peace!” After the greeting of peace, he shows the wounds on his hands and side. Why is the showing of his wounds so important? By showing his wounds, Jesus reminds them and everyone not to forget what we did to him. The Author of life came, and we killed him. The next time you hear people brag and say, “I am okay!” “You are okay!” do not believe them. The wounds of Jesus are signs of our spiritual dysfunction. When the Risen Lord showed his wounds he is asking us not to forget that. After he has shown his wounds, what follows? Not vengeance! If you are watching a movie of a poor man who was betrayed, denied, abandoned by everyone at the moment of truth and was later put to death, and after a few days he rises from dead, would you not expect that he is going to unleash more vengeance on those who betrayed him and put him to death? As for the Risen Lord, what he does after showing his wounds is astonishingly breathtaking. He utters the word of healing and mercy— Shalom! Shalom sums up what God intended for the human race from the very beginning. What sin interrupted is Shalom. What sin disrupted is Shalom. Shalom is wellbeing at every level— physical, spiritual and emotional. Rather than unleash vengeance on those who denied, betrayed and abandoned him, he offers forgiveness and peace. The terrible disorder of the cross, of the crucifixion of Jesus is addressed not through more disorder, not through more violence, not through more aggression, not through an explosion of divine vengeance but through a radiation of divine love and redeeming mercy. 

Now, what does this mean to us? It means that there is no sin that God in principle cannot forgive. There is finally nothing that can separate us from the love of God. St. Paul says in his Letter to the Romans that he is certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither heights nor depths or any other power can separate us from the love of God. How does St. Paul know that? Because we killed God and God returns with forgiving and redeeming love. After speaking Shalom for the second time, Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” In other words, after offering mercy to his disciples, Jesus commissions and sends them to communicate the same mercy to the world. This is the foundation of the sacrament of Penance, and it has existed in the Church from that very moment till this day as the privilege vehicle of Divine Mercy. When the English philosopher and theologian, G. K. Chesterton was asked why he converted from the Anglican Church (The Church of England) to the Catholic Church, he answered, “To have my sins forgiven.” Chesterton recognized the sacrament of Penance as the privilege vehicle of Divine Mercy. This sacrament is not a burden but the grace of reconciliation, the restoration of divine friendship, and the forgiveness of our sins. I believe that the greatest damage caused by secularism and secularist ideology is the insistence that each of us is okay without God. Going to confession is not a burden but precisely as a privilege expression of Divine Mercy. On this Feast Day of Divine Mercy, feast in Divine Mercy but don’t just feast in it and entertain it intellectually, I strongly recommend you use the sacrament of Penance. For it is the best way to bask in the Divine Mercy. 

Jesus Is the Lord, Not Caesar! 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday)

St. Bernard Catholic Church, Cologne, MN

Sunday, April 04, 2021

On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters the holy city of Jerusalem acclaimed by many as the Son of David who has come as the Davidic warrior. And he actually went up to the temple precinct and picked a fight when he overturned the tables of those trading in the House of God. However, as Holy Week unfolded, it is as though all the powers that had opposed him from the time of his birth came out in full force to meet him. He was met by deep-seated hatred, by denial, by betrayal, by violence, by stupidity, by institutional injustice, and by incomparable cruelty. But rather than respond to the violence unleashed on him with more violence, he allowed all the darkness to wash over him. On Good Friday, after taking upon himself the sins of the world, he says, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. On Good Friday, upon the cross, Jesus interrupts  and disrupts the terrible interplay of violence and counter-violence, of vengeance and counter-vengeance which bedevils the human race from the very beginning. After he has accomplished his mission of reconciling us with God and with each other, after he has offered an undeserved divine mercy to the human race, he says, It is finished, and bowing his head, he hands over his Spirit to his Father, our Father. 

Now, what prevents us from saying that Jesus was a failed revolutioner or an inspiring idealist? It is the stubborn fact of the Resurrection. If you wanted to make a case that someone was not the Messiah, it would be his death in the hands of Israel’s enemy. The Messiah was supposed to gather the tribes; he was supposed to lead the nation of Israel in a fight to defeat the enemy of Israel. So, the strongest argument to make that someone was not the Messiah of Israel was that he was crucified by the Romans. In the year 132, Bar Kokhba led the Jews in a revolution against the Roman Empire. At the time, many proclaimed him to be the Messiah. They minted coins and declared it is the year of Bar Kokhba. But the moment he was arrested and put to death by the Romans, no one thinks of him as the Messiah. As for Jesus, the early Christians proclaimed boldly that he is the Messiah. St. Paul called him, “Iesous Christos,” that is, Jesus the Messiah. The first disciples  went to the ends of the world, risked their lives, endured torture and death as they proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews because of his Resurrection from dead.

For sometime now, a growing number of contemporary scholars have been trying to explain away the resurrection of Jesus. They claim it is a myth, a legend, a symbol and a sign that prolongs Jesus’ cause. But no first century Christian would have found any of that convincing. Can you imagine, for instance, St. Paul saying, “I am proclaiming an inspiring dead man.” No Christian in Corinth would have taken him seriously. But what St. Paul said over and over again was Anastasis! Anastasis! — Resurrection! Resurrection! That was the first great Christian message. 

Today’s Gospel (John 20:1-9) says that early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb. Visiting the tomb that early when most people were still sleeping and when most people would be scared to go there is a demonstration of her love for Jesus and the deep grief she felt over the death of Jesus. Upon getting to the tomb, she discovered that the tomb has been compromised. The stone which covered the tomb has been removed. Out of desperation, she ran to Peter and delivered the sad news: They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him. Peter and John left immediately to the tomb. The Gospel said They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first. Once they got to the tomb, what they did see? Only the burial cloths! The Gospel adds, “he (John) saw and believed.” 

What is it that he believed? You can argue that he believed the sad report of Mary of Magdala which says that they have taken the Lord from the tomb. But the most persuasive and compelling argument is: he believed that Jesus is Risen. Before they saw the empty tomb, they had not yet come to understand the Scripture which says that Jesus will rise from the dead. But after seeing the empty tomb, they believed that the Son of Man, the triumphant Warrior is Risen. Come to think of it, if the body of Jesus was stolen, the thieves won’t wait around to untie the burial clothes and to fold them. If his body was taken away from the tomb by the chief priests, the last thing they would do is to keep the burial clothes in the tomb because doing so would send the signal that he is risen. Don’t forget that they had previously made plans to prevent his disciples from stealing his body and then claiming that he is risen. Jesus’ disciples believed their Master once killed has risen. It is precisely the reason why St. Paul after he had encountered the Risen Christ would say, I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither heights or depths, nor any other power can separate us from the love of God. How does Paul know that? Because we killed God and God returned with forgiving and redeeming love. That is why through all his letters, he would say, “Iesous Kyrios”— Jesus is Lord. The watchword of the era was, “Kaizer kyrios” meaning “Caesar is Lord.” Caesar was one man to whom final allegiance is due. But the message Paul has for the world is, Jesus is the Lord not Caesar. Jesus is the new King of the nations. He is risen to die no more. 

So, the message of Easter is that we have a new King who reigns with love, kindness, compassion and mercy. Believe in Him unreservedly. Follow him wholeheartedly. 

He Gives Himself Away!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper 

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Thursday, April 1, 2021

The 19th century German philosopher, Georg Friedrich Hegel said that all human society is characterized by master-slave dynamic. By this he means that every society is marked by the tendency of some to aggressively seize power and influence and to keep others at bay. In every human organization, there are insiders and outsiders, privileged ones and marginalized ones, those who are up and those who are down. And those who are up, the privileged ones are usually interested in keeping things just the way they are. Now, it will be a mistake to look at this purely from geopolitical standpoint because during school days, many of us saw this master-slave dynamic in full display. The cool kids, the privileged groups, those who were up wanted things to remain the way they were even if it means keeping others down. But long before Hegel, the great St. Augustine while criticizing the Roman society of his time identified what he called in Latin libido dominandi (i.e. the lust to dominate). For St. Augustine, libido dominandi, the lust to dominate others which is a kind of master-slave dynamic is the mark of a dysfunctional society. Now, long before Hegel and St. Augustine, the authors of the Old Testament were also keenly interested in this problem because the central story of the Old Testament is the story of slavery and liberation from slavery. The First Reading taken from the Book of Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 is about the Passover meal, the hour of liberation from slavery. The Israelites have been slaves four hundred years in Egypt, four hundred years of oppression. Then in the great act of liberation, God brings them out of Egypt to freedom. By breaking their chains, the God of Israel shows essentially what he is about, which is, overcoming the master-slave dynamic. Interestingly, after Israel has established itself as a great nation, the Hebrew prophets warn them to treat the foreigners living among them as native-born, to love them as they love themselves, for they were foreigners in Egypt (Lev. 19:34).

In 30 AD, Jesus of Nazareth appears in the hills of Galilee with the language of the Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is at hand. What will the members of this Kingdom be like? Jesus says they should not hunger for domination, rather righteousness and meekness. They should not be stuck in the principle of “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” rather embrace mercy and radical compassion. Jesus says that if someone asks for a quarter dollar, and you have a dollar to spare, give it to them. If someone presses you for a service and you are able to do it, get on with it. And love, not just your relatives, neighbors and friends, but also your enemies. Jesus says when you attend a party, don’t sit with the masters, don’t take the highest place, rather sit at the lowest place, sit with the little guys on purpose. When you give a party, don’t invite the high and mighty alone who can afford to pay you back, but invite the poor, those at the margins of the society who can’t pay them back as well. As we all know, Jesus, in his own life and ministry practiced what he preached. He practiced open table fellowship. Yes, he sat with the masters, the scholars, the pharisees etc. but he also invited sinners, tax collectors, the sick, and the poor. At the heart of these, sisters and brothers, Jesus is overturning all forms of master-slave dynamic, all forms of libido dominandi. 

With these in mind, what does today’s Gospel say? At the climax of his life, Jesus gathers with his Twelve Apostles. Reclining at table, Jesus rises and does something so strange. He takes off his outer garment, puts a towel around himself and begins to do a work only reserved for the lowest of the slaves. He begins to wash their feet. You know, we’ve become used to this liturgical practice of washing feet on Holy Thursday that we forget how unnerving this practice was. It was a bridge too far for Peter and that’s why he balked and said, Lord, you will never wash my feet. The closest analogy to this is, let’s say you are invited to a formal dinner by a very distinguished host. You get seated just like the host and every other invited guests. Then all of a sudden, the host takes off his tuxedo jacket, bends down and begins to shine the shoes of the guests. I bet you, you will be shellshocked and most likely be embarrassed. That’s how the disciples felt when Jesus begins to wash their feet. But what is Jesus doing? He is overturning the master-slave dynamic and  setting for us the distinctive mark of his Kingdom. 

In the second reading taken from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, we witness the greatest and the most profound overturning of the master-slave dynamic. St. Paul’s account of the Last Supper is the earliest reference we have in the Bible of the Eucharist. St. Paul wrote a decade or so before the first Gospel was written. He recalls what Jesus did. He took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Check this out! At the climax of his life, at the climax of his ministry, Jesus expresses the fullness of the Kingdom of God and sums up what he’s about. If you are stuck in the master-slave dynamic, you are interested in getting to the top and staying there even at the detriment of everyone else; you are interested in keeping people at bay as much as you can; you are interested in grabbing and maintaining your position. What did Jesus do as he sums up what his life and ministry is all about? He gives himself away! He says, “This is my Body.” “This is my Blood.” Jesus does not grab or seeks to grab authority, position, power, rather he lets them go. In the washing of the feet, he becomes the slave. In the giving of his Body and Blood, he gives his entire self away. In those acts, Jesus points to us our entry into the dynamics of God’s Kingdom. St. Pope John Paul II talked about the law of the gift which says “Your being increases in the measure you give it away.” That is the law of the Kingdom of God; it is the antithesis of the master-slave dynamic which says that your life increases the more you grab and hang on to it. The question that this Holy Thursday poses is: How can we make our lives a gift? How can we strive to undermine the dynamics of master-slave relationships and give ourselves away?