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Thursday, April 18, 2019
Today begins the Church’s celebration of the Sacred Tridium where we solemnly contemplate the greatest mysteries of our redemption. The Easter Tridium’s liturgy is a three-day act of worship that gives each of us an opportunity to gather in the upper room with Jesus and the disciples, and then to have a share in Jesus’ passion and death by walking, albeit mystically, with them through the events of Jesus agony and arrest, His trial before the Sanhedrin, His time of questioning and ridicule before both Pilot and Herod, His scourging, His crowning with thorns, His carrying of the cross, His mounting the cross, and finally His Resurrection. As Jesus dies, we stand at the foot of the cross with Mary and John. And as Jesus resurrects, we stand at the tomb, with Mary Magdalene, and cry in joy, “Rabouni!” Today in all the Catholic churches around the world our celebration of the Paschal Mystery begins.
Over the last several weeks we have explored Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection’s understanding of the practice of the Presence of God. One of the more mysterious and captivating things Jesus does at the Last Supper is to wash the feet of the apostles. The apostle John’s version of this telling event is attached with this reflection (Jn 13:1-20). We encourage you to pray today with this passage, and to imagine Jesus is before you and is washing your feet, telling you, “ Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If then your Lord and Teacher, has washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, Truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” What is Jesus telling you as He says this to you? What is He calling you to do with His example of washing your feet?
Prayer is an opening of the door of one’s heart that welcomes God. God is washing our feet constantly, but neither you nor I notice it. God is always with us, ever at our feet rubbing in His cleansing grace. The practice of the Presence of God gives us a way of receiving God’s rubbed in grace that actualizes in our life as unrestrained joy. As Brother Lawrence says in his first letter to a Nun, where he shares under the guise of pretending it is another friar’s experience when it is likely actually his own, “ You will see that his principal concern throughout the more than 40 years he has been in religious life has been always to be with God…He has no other interest than the pure love of God…[because he has done this] He is not so accustomed to [God’s] divine presence that he receives constant help in every situation. His soul has been enjoying continual inner consolations for about 30 years. Sometimes they are so intense he is forced to do childish things in order to control them and keep them from showing outwardly. This behavior makes him look more foolish than holy.” Let us all come to a place where we look, as Brother Lawrence did, more foolish than holy because we are so filled with God that we have to struggle to keep it from bubbling out.
Lenten Action
If you are a regular practitioner of contemplative prayer, read the attached reading of the Gospel of John prayerfully. What is Jesus telling you by the act of washing your feet. Then go into your normal contemplative prayer practice. If you are new to meditation and contemplative prayer do the same, and then sit quietly while Jesus washes your feet. Use the Jesus prayer to silence your mind.
Today is not a Fast day, but if you have a mind to abstain from a favorite food or drink, please do so as a means of strengthening your will power. Remember not to watch TV, or use your computer or your phone to access social media, computer games, or other unnecessary apps.”