the paschal triduum
Holy Thursday
Paschal comes from the Greek word pesach or pascha in Latin ukon sa binisaya, paskwa. Ugaling ang bisaya daw nag-lain ang kahulugan. Kon si maninoy wala nagapamaskwa sia bagit. Kon fiesta nila mamaskwa kita. However, originally, Paschal means the passing through, the passing over. The word was first used by Moses and the Israelites when they were freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt and went on a journey of 40 years that took them to the promised land. It was their pascha, their passing over from Egypt to the Promised Land, their passing over from slavery to freedom.
In our gospel today Jesus said that “his hour has come to pass from
this world to the Father - to pass from this world to the Father.” Again this is his pascha. Jesus is passing over. His passion, death and resurrection taken
together, is a passing through that will bring him back to the Father. And not only will it bring him back to the
Father, but it will also bring us with him.
His going back will also transform us, his going back will also bring us
to the Father, in the words of St. Paul, from the slavery of sin to the freedom
of the sons and daughters of God. Thus,
this paschal triduum, these three days is also our own passing over as much as
it is Christ’s.
This afternoon we start our own pascha, our passing through by
recalling what Christ has passed over in his own pascha. And like the Israelites of old, we need go
through three things: first, it involves a Passover meal, which for us is the
Eucharist; second, it involves the death of the lamb, which for us is the cross
of Jesus the lamb of God; and third it involves a crossing over the water just
as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and the River Jordan, and these for us
are the waters of baptism.
Today, Holy Thursday, we are nourished by the meal. Tomorrow on Good Friday we train our eyes to
the lamb on the cross. And on Holy
Saturday on the vigil of Easter we cross the body of water, the waters of
baptism. And no, no, no, you could not
miss one - because these three, the meal, the blood of the lamb, and the
crossing through the water, is our passing through and crossing over with
Jesus.
Today, before I begin my reflection on this first day of the triduum, I
invite you to take a short pause in silence and consider in this passing
through and in this crossing over where Christ is calling you from and to what
is he is leading you into. If this is a
passing over (and it can be your own personal passing over) - what are you
called to leave behind and what are you asked to embrace? Are you passing through something? We name them now and ask the Lord to bring us
across with Him.
Two things about the Eucharist which will help us in our passing through
and our crossing over with Jesus.
First, in the second reading from the letter to the Corinthians, Paul
provided us with the context wherein Jesus instituted the Eucharist. He said that the first Eucharist occurred
“on the night he was betrayed.” The
Eucharist did not happen in some exemplary community amidst like-minded
people. No, in fact Jesus instituted
the Eucharist knowing that he is in the company of a betrayer - knowing that he
is in the company of Judas, and knowing that he is in the company of Peter,
even, who will deny him 3 times. “On the
night he was betrayed”- we hear these same words now in the mass just before
the consecration and it serves as an incessant reminder that the Eucharist is a
gift, and it is a gift because in reality we don’t deserve it. In this context we will be forever reminded of this fact that we come to the
Eucharist as sinners.
Second we have to understand that John
is the only Gospel who did not give us the narrative of the institution of the
Eucharist. Instead he gave us a glimpse
of what happened after it - the washing of the feet. This is explained by some commentators as
John presenting the other side of the Eucharist.
Foot washing was normally done by a slave or a
servant, not the host. If the host had no slave, he would provide water and a
towel, but he would not wash the guest’s feet himself. Indeed, it was a job that could be performed
by a woman or a child or a non-Jewish slave, but no Jewish male, not even a slave
could be required by a Jewish master to do this for another. But here we
find Jesus bending over and washing his disciples’ feet. Here is a teacher, here is the master washing
the feet of his students. It is
unacceptable, it is uncalled for, it is too much.
The example
given to us here is one of indifference to one’s own importance. Ti ano gid kon dungganon ka, ti ano gid kon
pari ako, ukon mayor. This is not just
simply love. This is about dying to
self, this is about absolute unconcern for oneself this is about
self-forgetfulness for the sake of others.
So in this passing
through and in this crossing over, where is Christ calling you from, and to
what is he is leading you into? In this
passing over what are you called to leave behind and what are you asked to
embrace? You
need these two attitudes engendered by our Passover meal which is for us the
Eucharist.
First, we need to realize that we are sinners, we are
mistake makers, we are undeserving, and all that we have are given to us as
gifts, underserved, unmerited gifts.
Second, we need to bend low, we need to imbibe an
indifference to our own self-importance; we need to be humble. Only in this way can we pass through and
cross over.
Tomorrow we train our eyes to the cross, the lamb who
was slain for our salvation, that we may complete our passing over.
___________ Good
Friday
Today in this
second day of our triduum we train our eyes to the Lamb who was slain. And to start, we will ask the question, Why
did Jesus have to die for us?
When I was a young
seminarian I was taught that Jesus could have easily pricked his finger with a
needle and he could have saved the world.
I am reminded of this every time I had my blood examined in a
laboratory, and I would sometimes say to myself, if I was the messiah I could
have saved the world a hundred times over.
Some of my teachers would even go to the point of situating the act of
redemption in the carpentry shop of Joseph, his father, where Jesus may have
accidentally hit his finger with a hammer.
But instead of these possibilities, they said, Jesus chose to go through
a bloodletting that consisted of at least three 7-inch nails, several lashes of
the whip made of balls and spikes, and who knows, probably 20 thorns piercing
his skull, and lastly a lance that pierced his side. That they say is the magnanimity of God, a
superabundance of love for each one of us.
However, in my
philosophy and theology years, things became quiet complicated especially when
some archaeologists discovered an ancient tax collector’s booth in Israel. In one shelf they discovered the word “tetelestai,” and this shelf supposedly held
accounts already considered paid. This
word found on that shelf of a tax collector is the same word uttered by Jesus
when he died and which we translated as, “it is finished.” So they said, when Jesus uttered “tetelestai”
on the cross it was a cry of victory, for he has just ransomed us, he has just
paid all our debts in full. Christ has
to die to make restitution, mending what was broken, paying back what was
taken.
There are some
quarters who even say “nga kita tani ang dapat bunalon, kita tani ang dapat purongpurongan
sang tunok sa ulo, kita kuntani ang ilansang sa krus.” Kon ano ang sulokton sa
aton ginsukot sa kay Jesus - Christ substituted for us, so much so that his the
pain and death he underwent was the price he paid for our own salvation. Some, especially protestants, even go so far
as Jesus being punished by the Father for our sake or in behalf of us all
(penal substitution)!
But here is
something more interesting perhaps. St.
Anselm of Canterbury has also his own interpretation of why Christ has died for
us and why he offered his life for our salvation. He said that we human beings are like
diamonds before God, very beautiful to look at, very precious. One day we fell into the muck, right there at
the very bottom of the muck, falling into this mess and this dysfunction we
find ourselves in. And because of this
God has to come in person, to set things right, going right into the dirt that
buried them in order to find and lift up the diamonds and clean them off. This is what happens on the cross. It is not the suffering that satisfies the
Father, it is not the suffering that pays the debt, but the obedience of the
Son, an obedience that made him willing to go and undergo the most godforsaken
thing for love of you and me. We lost
paradise because of disobedience, now we gain it back, or should I say now
Jesus gained it back for us by his obedience to the Father, the obedience of
Jesus, the obedience of the new Adam.
This is what Pope Benedict meant when he said, “God turning against
himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical
form."
Whatever the
reason, however we reason as to why Christ died for us, ( and there is no one
view) we always go back to this simple conclusion that God has showed us in Christ
how much he has loved us by suffering and dying for our sake.
Well you may ask
for the sake of asking, did his dying on the cross bring world peace? No, we still
have the evil of wars and violence among us. Did his death bring Universal
prosperity? No, there are still plenty of hungry people, homeless people and
poor people all over the world. Did his death make this world a better world
place? It seems that we still have a lot
of problems in the world. So what did
the death of Jesus bring us? God in Jesus has brought us the truth about our origin
and destiny - who we are before God and what we are meant and called to become.
When I was
a seminarian in theology and in the first year of my priesthood I was struck by
a rare disease that gives me until now this limp. It was a kind of arthritis that attacked all
the joints in my body - all. I sought the advice of so many doctors then, may
mga tuod tuod nga doktor, may mga nagapakunokuno nga doktor, kag may palpak nga
mga doktor (quack).
May collection ako sang
balanyos halin luy-a, lana, ajos, gas, - ano pa waay gid ako damo abyan sa
katedral kay ang baho ko daw kusina kag banyo rolled into one. Naagyan ko man ang St. Paul’s, Doctor’s,
Makati Med, si Mauricio kag ang Manugbotbot sa Oton.
It was a desperate time for me. I
felt guilty, I felt I did something wrong to merit this punishment. There was even a time when I went to
confession almost everyday thinking that I may have missed something. Then one day there was this woman who out of
concern came to me after mass and told me “Father, ikompesar bala ang sala mo kay
maayo ka sina. Tuga lang na sang sala
mo.” Third time, fourth time, fifth
time, hipos lang ako. Sa ikan-um nga
sulit indi na ako makaagwanta binuy-an ko ang akon baston, kinuha ko ang akon
stola ginbaroron kag ginhan-os sa iya. Umm, ti man. Really? Is this the kind of God we have?
That night, I was so
confused, guilty and at the same time doubtful and uncertain in my faith. Is this the kind of God whom I believe
in? And so, crying and in pain, I sat
down and I wrote what I would call my own credo, my belief. In my pain and discouragement I would always
go back to this creed - my belief in God.
I
believe in a God who cried with me whenever I cried in my pain. I believe in a God who shouted in anger
whenever I shout in anger because of my disability. I believe in a God who cuddled me to sleep
when I was too tired, too sick, too frustrated with my life. I believe in a God who suffered with me, who
shared my joys, my pain, my concerns even though how petty they may be. I believe in a God who became my crutches and
support whenever I stumble and fall, and could no longer bear to walk in
discouragement. I believe in a God who
does not want me to suffer. I believe in
a God who permitted himself to suffer and die so that I will not suffer and die
in the pains of hell. I believe in a God
who loves me so much, who accepts me as I am with all my sins, with all my
failures, with all my emptiness.
This is the second
day of our passing over. To pass over we
need to acknowledge that we are mistake-makers, that what we have, we have as
gifts from God, undeserved, unmerited, grace.
To pass over we need to learn to bend down, we need to die to self, we
need to leave behind the feeling of self-importance that prevents us from
listening. We need the humility to be
guided. Today we have looked at the
cross and learned from it who God is, who we are, and what we are called to
become. Tomorrow we pass through the
water and thus complete our crossing over.
--------------------- Easter
VIgil
This is the first
time I presided in the celebration of a complete paschal triduum. For the past 19 years I was always
serving. In fact I was serving from the
time I was First Year College up until last year. So last Holy Thursday was the first time I
have ever washed feet. I have directed
bishops and priests as to how it should be done, I have given lectures as to
its significance, but last Thursday was the very first time I have done it
myself. I am a liturgist and I am the
only priest the bishop obeys. When I
tell him to sit he sits, when I tell him to go, he goes. That is why the bishops follow an age old
advice when they deal with us liturgists.
It says, you can negotiate with terrorists but never with liturgists -
maayo lang gani ako kay ginamudluan ko lang sang akon mata, may isa anay ka
liturgist nga may ruler nga dala, tapos ginsingganan niya si Cardinal Santos
sit down dala tuslok sang iya tiyan.
That is also partly the reason why even priests don’t dare show their
mettle on us, because it falls in our department to dress them up when they
die. Among ourselves I am referred to as
the AE, meaning the Archdioxesan Embalmer kay ako ang nagasigurado nga sakto
nga ginapasuksuk sa ila kon sila mapatay.
Ti testingan lang nila labutao kag kutao-kutao sa akon kay kon mapatay
sila, butangan ko gid aritos ila dulunggan kag sa idalom sang ila sutana
pasuksukan ko gid sila sang shorts nga pink!
Because I have
been serving big celebrations for a number of years, kadamo man ako naagyan ko nga
mga kapalpakan.
May isa ka bes nga
nag-abot ang relic ni St. Therese sa cathedral kag gani may official reception
nga gintambongan sang opisyales sang ciudad.
Pormal ang tanan. Tapos gulpi lang
nag-announce ang emcee, our beloved mayor will now present to St. Therese the
keys to the city of Iloilo. Adjus ta, indi makita ang symbolic nga key. Nagsala na kami tanan. Ang mayor nagatindog na didto sa tunga. Wala ko bala kinuha ang yabi sa sakristiya
kag ginhatag sa mayor, isa ka pungpung nga yabi sang sakristan, sang mga
cabinet, sang puerta sang sakristiya ... the key to the city of Iloilo.
May bes man to nga
ginbutang sang server ang kalo sang obispo, ang mitra. Ti may-ikog ina nga duha ka bilog sa
likod. Pagbutang sang seminarista, suli
- ang ikog ara sa tubang, nagatabon sa
mata sang obispo. Dali-dali man amon
dalagan ....
In the tradition
of the church during easter especially in Germany there is such a thing which
they call risus paschalis which means the laughter of Easter. It was customary for the parish priest to tell
jokes during easter. The idea behind
this risus paschalis was laughing at Satan who was humiliated and silenced by
the Resurrection of Christ. The
resurrection of Jesus has embarrassed the devil, the resurrection of Jesus has
disgraced Satan and tonight we laughed at Satan.
Yesterday I told
you that we are now in that part of our pass over, of our crossing over where
we have to cross the water. We have
eaten our passover meal, we have trained our eyes on the lamb who was slain for
our salvation and we have adored his cross.
Now in this last moment, in this last part of the triduum, just before
we make it to the other side of whatever we have left behind, we cross the body
of water. This crossing of the body of
water is symbolic of baptism and its consequent attitude which is joy. Our third reading today, the crossing of the
red Sea, is followed by the responsory from the same book of Exodus. In fact it follows immediately the
reading. This responsory is the song
sung right after the crossing of the red sea, a song sung by Moses and Miriam
his sister. Miriam was so taken up with
joy by their crossing over that she got a timbrel and danced with all the women
of Israel.
This is what I am
referring to by saying we are crossing the water. It is not just our baptism which we renew
tonight, but the consequence of that baptism, the consequence being joy,
gladness and laughter.
William Hazzlitt
says that man is the only animal that weeps and laughs for man is the only
animal that perceives the difference between what things are and what things
might have been. You can weep because of
the things that are happening right now in your life and you can weep even more
knowing that things could have been better.
Yes you can weep, and weep all you can.
But don’t miss out what Hazzlitt said you are also capable of doing, you
can laugh at all these.
Joy and humor and
laughter show the depth of our faith in God, most especially our faith in the
resurrection. Our outlook in life will
show if we are true believers of the resurrection, it will show if indeed we
have faith in the power of life over death, it will show whether we have faith
in the power of love over hatred, it will show whether we have faith in the
power of good over evil, it will show whether we have faith in the power of
kindness and compassion over violence and anger, it will show whether we have
faith in the power of hope over despair.
For those who believe, our joy and our sense of humor reveal our trust in
God, our trust in a God who will ultimately make things well for all of
us. That is why joy reveals faith. It is different from happiness because one
can be in the midst of suffering and still be joyful. It is different because joy has to do not
with emotions but with belief. Joy
reveals faith.
This is what I am
proposing to you - your crossing over by passing through water is joy, to
imbibed a joyful, a humorous spirit.
One of the enemies
of pride is to learn to make fun of yourself.
It is one way of deflating the ego.
And the best example of a person who makes fun of himself is Pope John
XXIII. Pope John is you have seen him in
pictures is very fat. One day
immediately after he was elected pope, while he was walking in the streets of
Rome a woman passed him and said to her friend, my God he is so fat. Overhearing them the good pope turned around
and replied, "madame I trust that you understand that the conclave that got me
elected as pope is not exactly a beauty contest."
One time this pope was
brought to the Holy Spirit Hospital. The
superior who was a nun came up to him and told him, "Holy Father I am the
Superior of the Holy Spirit." And the
Pope replied, "Sister, you are really lucky, I am just the Vicar of Christ."
On holy Thursday
we have come to know who we are through the Eucharist - we are mistake makers,
and everything that we have is undeserved really. When we bent down to wash each other’s feet
we were reminded that we should be humble and not to be too conscious of our
own importance. We need to be
humble.
In Good Friday we
looked at the cross and we have come to realize that Jesus' death for me and you
did not really make the world prosperous nor did it bring world peace, rather
the death of Jesus made us aware of the truth about
our origin and destiny - we have come to know who we are before God and what we
are meant and what we are called to become.
Now
this is the proposal for the last day - joy - a way of seeing what is happening
in my life with a sense of humor that is deeply founded on my faith in the
resurrection of Jesus that God will ultimately make things well
for all of us. With this world view we
can cross over, we can leave behind the past and face what is to come with a
deeper and livelier faith.
Six years ago I was almost
apprehended for Jay walking, just right there as you cross the street. I told the policeman that RA 1656 (it’s not
the real number, but policeman cannot tell) on the privileges of a disabled
person which entitles me not to use the overpass. He made me pass, and even apologized. In the old airport people would vacate a seat for
me. And one time while I was responding to
a sick call in the hospital, when I alighted from the taxi, I saw the security guard
of the hospital running with a wheelchair for me, and I thought all the while
that arthritis is that bad.
When was the last time
you made a good laugh at yourself and at your predicament?
And so we
pray: Lord, let me have too deep a sense
of humor ever to be proud. Let me know
my absurdity before I act absurdly. Let
me realize that when I am humble I am most human and most worthy of your
serious consideration. Let me laugh at my
pride, let me laugh at my mistakes, let me laugh my ego, myself, let me laugh at
the devil because from now on with you Lord all will be well. The Lord is risen!
Let us be glad and rejoice.
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