On our knees

“…When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him” (Luke 22:14)

Luke 22:14-23 (Year C: The Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm Sunday) 14^th April, 2019)

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A NOTE ABOUT TODAY’S READINGS

Liturgy of the Passion (COI)

Isaiah 50:4-9

Psalm 31:9-16

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 22:14-23 or Luke 23:1-49

The readings in the Roman Catholic Church are the same except for the psalm which is number 22(21) instead of 31.

Direct parallel gospel readings to that of Luke are found in:

Matthew 26:26-29

Mark 14:22-25

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SERMON NOTES (672 words)

Most who read this weekly blog are familiar with the idea and practice of Holy Communion regardless of how frequently we participate in it. I suspect that our ideas of Holy Communion, the Mass, the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper is shaped by our very early experiences in life. We watched other people including our parents and neighbours. We picked up – by osmosis or explicit teaching – the spoken and unspoken assumptions, mysteries, firmly held beliefs and norms of the Christian tradition into which we were introduced or in which we ended up (the two not always being synonymous).

The Eucharist is a mystery. We do well to embrace it as a mystery in the totality of daily living. To see the Eucharist as something separate from life or some-Thing that exists outside ourselves does not justice to the mystery. Over-thinking or over-analysing is likely to impede a living relationship with God and our neighbour of which the Eucharist is a very – even crucial – part. It is good to explain and to explore the mystery by means of trusting prayer and living theology. However, I suggest that we do best to approach the mystery literally on our knees (which is why I appreciate the widespread Anglican practice at the time of reception in the service of Holy Communion even if the evidence suggests that Christians in the earliest of post-apostolic times tended to stand throughout the liturgy on the Lord’s Day (Sunday).

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, opens with a special liturgy with the procession marking Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  There follows a very long Gospel which can lead to long standing in many places! 

In this blog, I have chosen to reflect and pray about one part of that rather long Passion story from the Gospel of Saint Luke. I have chosen what is commonly referred to as ‘the institution of the Eucharist’ found in each of the synoptic gospels and, in the case of Luke, in chapter 22.

This is end time for Jesus as he eats his last supper with his friends before his impending trial, torture, death and resurrection. Running through the story of the Eucharist and the sketchy account of it in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (written before Luke was) is the theme of betrayal.

Human betrayal is present in God’s story from Adam right through to the Book of Revelation and in our own times. Many betray the God of life and love. The authority, authoritativeness and credibility of the Christian churches has been hugely undermined by many factors including their handling of betrayal by a minority of its ministers. How ironic that the last supper of Jesus with this disciples was the occasion of a huge historical betrayal on the part of Judas. This overshadows the entire story of what happened that night. It opens the gates of hell because Jesus would pass through hell on earth and beyond death in the days that would follow before opening the gates of heaven to all who would believe and submit to this rule of love.

The setting for Paul’s teaching on the Eucharist (1 Corinthians 11:23-27) found in chapter 11 of his letter to the Christians at Corinth is one of strife and betrayal of the principles of the gospel.  Those partaking in the sacred meal were excluding others and fighting among themselves for a share of what is available. If Christians are not squabbling about doctrine we squabble about our share of the spiritual cake. Put another way, it is a struggle of power and about who is in the right and who is in the wrong. This is anti-Gospel and therefore anti-Eucharist. Whatever about the technical validity of sacred orders and rites, the meaning and value of the Eucharist is besmirched when we behave in a thoroughly selfish and self-righteous manner.

I suggest a thorough examination of conscience, confession of sins and, if we can manage it, an approach to the Table of the Lord’s Word and Bread on our knees this coming week.

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SOME IDEAS FOR INTERCESSIONS

As the Church  enters the most sacred of weeks in the year, we place before the tender mercies of God our needs and those of others. We pray for:

• Action by Governments, communities and churches to change our way of living, consuming and producing so as to leave our God-given Earth in a better condition to future generations…..
• The people of Sudan at this time …
• The communities in which we live and work…may we extend a genuine and warm welcome to those are strangers….
• The Christian churches … that we may witness to common baptism in this time of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection …
• One another….
• Other named persons ….
• Remembering with thanks those who have gone before us….
• … praying in silence….

Loving God gather to yourself the scattered people called by the name of Christ. Anoint us with the oil, water and fire of your holy sacraments as we journey through this passiontide of 2019.