After the publication of liturgical aids, we enter the heart of Holy Week in the company of two great men: p. Theodossios Mary of the Cross, founder of the Fraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Cardinal. Giuseppe Siri, who ordered his father Theodossios priest, published documents are important not only for the spirituality emanating, but also to show the clear connection between the life of faith and liturgical aspects, branded by many as unnecessary or even dangerous imperfections , are in fact essential and basic elements of Christian life.
The mystery of the Sacrifice of the altar and the presence of Christ (father Theodossios Mary of the Cross)
For the Holy Thursdays
Because today's Gospel does not speak of the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper? The apostle Paul spoke there before, and his narrative was followed by that of St. John the Evangelist, who has participated personally in the Lord's Supper and gives us the greatest teaching on earth, in the history of the spirit and facts: humility and constant service to others .
We can not understand the mystery of the Eucharist or any sacred history, unless we fundamentally renewed humility. Therefore, this passage from the Gospel is given us to understand the Sacrament announced by St. Paul. Certainly, the Church could have proposed St. Luke, St. Matthew and St. Mark's, but it is through St. Paul - who has received direct revelation from the Lord after the resurrection-that it gives us the announcement of the Eucharist, and lets us hear the Gospel where the Lord, before He suffered, gave the greatest sign of humility washed the feet of his servants.
I do not think that they have the humility that makes us capable of knowing deeply the mystery of the Eucharist, but I must speak to you because it's actually more important for all priests, consecrated, baptized and unbaptized.
That night, on earth, an event took place as the great and mysterious creation. As the antithesis to all of human history that seems inexplicable, sometimes absurd, incomprehensible, with all its pain, its sacrifices, evil, death, Christ came. The new man, God-Man, has entered into history and it has reversed the course, even if you do not see it.
It is difficult to understand, now, the mystery of the Holy Supper of the Lord, to understand why what happened was necessary for salvation, for redemption, for the reversal of history, if we perceive with the intellect sacred things, as we measure houses, streets and fields, but is easy when we receive in this mystery with all the willingness to be humble servants.
When the man moved and attracted by the continuous service of others - wash your feet, wash souls clean houses, wash the spirits - the intimate necessity that opens the heart and intelligence, and the mystery penetrates like music, as a perfume. Abraham tells the rich man who had died: "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed" (The 16, 26), so, between the intellectual understanding without love and without humility and the mysteries of the Church of Christ, there is an abyss, and the 'inability to communicate.
The Incarnation was the greatest Sacrament: Christ himself is the sacrament and is increased in the universe. On the evening of the Last Supper, for the second time on earth, Christ, God and man, was offered to humanity, the human and divine presence to dwell in history has penetrated to the end through the sacrament. This is the mystery in its simplicity.
The man fell and was able to resurrect. He was able to resuscitate the man and give him salvation, but this man was also God When Christ gave the Apostles his Body and his Blood, the essence of his Body and his Blood, he gave all ' Humanity's identity, his whole being. This essence of the sacred Body and Blood is not just flesh and blood, it is only the beginning, the essence of the meat and glorified the essence of the blood: God himself is there.
Through the Incarnation of God, a perfect man and eternal entered into history. From the Incarnation to the end of time, this man is always present, but God is always present, such as Being and Essence as a divine and human. After the Incarnation, the land has not been a single day, one hour, without the presence of this divine being and human. Its presence is perpetuated through the altar within the human history, until the end of the world.
For this reason we are here, why the Church adores the sacrament of the altar, the importance of such an event today and celebrates with a party deep and intimate. This is the basic message and this is our work of priests, consecrated and baptized.
The renewal does not happen with words alone or with a moral elevation is not enough. Before the coming of Christ on earth, there were great prophets, great saints, but God was incarnated in the universe. And God has willed to dwell forever on the altar with all its attributes, its power, its mystery: Body, Blood, Soul, God, Sacrifice, Redemption, Resurrection. All these events take place on the altar during Mass. On the night of the Last Supper, Christ before he died, the first to suffer, he bequeathed the Passion, Sacrifice and the Resurrection. He left in Sacramento throughout the Essence of his Being. He did not leave a body with precise dimensions, has left the essence. This word is enough to make us understand that we must not see the small Ostia, in the small drop of the Precious Blood, quantitative measures.
As in the material world the quality of the entire ocean is in a single drop of water, such as the quality of the sun, the immense sun, is located in a single photon in a beam in the direct and indirect lighting, the essence of Christ, immense, eternal, is present in the Host, the smallest particle of Ostia. Because there, Christ manifests the eternal decree of his humanity, its materiality, of his divinity.
This essence, from all eternity, involves the sacrifice and resurrection. The sacrifice was made in the visible world, but was present as the essence of the first Creation. The man who complains, as he is facing himself, can not understand that the economy Universal perfect love involves sacrifice. On land the men, too materialistic, they sacrifice many things for people they love. This is a remnant of a distant image of the eternal law of love, of the exchange.
The man he was and is in a state of decay. Christ could not save without sacrifice, and sacrifice is to be with us, not merely in the nails, and even in the scourging, but in being with us. When we go to visit the sick to whom we are not particularly fond of, when we talk with people whose level, whose sense of aesthetics, which are different from our expectations, with the desire to comfort them, do it with all my heart, but the sacrifice is greater than giving a little 'money.
All parties of this period should serve to awaken and renew us interiorly. You can not renew listening only mystical meditations, doctrinal, theological, the mystery of Transubstantiation. Christ loved His Mother, His Apostles and all humanity. If we take upon ourselves, to love without measure, fatigue, pain - not of all humanity, because we are very small, but at least some - if we do not condemn, and compassion, then we are with Jesus Christ at Gethsemane, where, after the offering of His Body and his Blood of the Lord's Supper and washing of the feet after the night of agony and sweat of blood, he saw before him the Church and all humanity sins.
If we can also say as Christ: "Father, not as I will but as You wish," and if we take upon ourselves, as God allows it, the responsibility for past and future history, as Christ did, then understand the mystery of the sacramental universal dominates and rules the universe since Creation. The universe is indeed dominated from the start by a law of eternal sacramental.
We can see what you mean "eternal sacramental" in the Incarnation of Christ and also in humans: the effective action, perennial, the eternal spirit over matter transmits power, knowledge, life. Jesus Christ in his Incarnation, constitutes the perfection of the sacraments, the more universal sacrament.
It is good to extend this discussion on the meaning contained in the mystery of sacramental sacrifice: the sacrifice we can perceive through the eternal love, eternal love and through the mystery of the sacramental aspect of universal in its mystical and practical. If we are unable to accept the sacrifice, to love and witness to the blood of love, we must never hope to understand the Church's doctrinal and sacramental sense.
We are on the ground, almost two thousand years after the Lord's Supper, after fights, blood, huge dreams and nostalgia. The story takes place, go ahead and contains in itself all the darkness of the Fall and all the light and the scent of the Redemption brought that night two thousand years ago.
If we surround our soul in the worship of the sacramental mystery that Christ has left us for love, then, even without understanding the sacred technique, namely the eternal Word that produces it, I assure you, that I am very poor, that the mystery will be before us like an open book and "read" the holy sacrament of the Eucharist and the law of all things divine.
But first we must lower and wash your feet, we must participate in the agony of Christ in Gethsemane. This agony was not that of death, has been immense because he saw all of human history, dark and bloody. That's why he asked if it was possible that the cup was not away from Him he prayed not to die wondering - why he had come - the cup was not death. He prayed, suffered, he sweated blood and prayed for us, for the whole story, for all men, because their fate was changed.
For us, that we are at this moment a small congregation in the Catholic Church, it is good to meditate on the act of sacrificial sacrament, because the sacrifice that is propitiatory contains the Sacrament. That's why I said that it also applies to non-believers. Our faith, our united action, extends as a blessing to the whole universe, helps him get better. St. Paul says in effect that the whole creation groans in expectation of redemption (cf. Rom 8, 22).
Do not think that the sacrifice of the altar only concerns me that the offer and you receiving Communion. At every Mass is a sacrificial act takes the value of which is universal for all. This center is the redeeming sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. When the altar is said: "This is my Body", is the Incarnation, and when you hear "This is my blood", is the separation, sacrifice and passion. And then when the Body and Blood are gathered in the chalice before Communion, is the Resurrection. So basically we have to unite to the sacrifice of Gethsemane, then Fiat which means they agree with you, Lord, to the end, with your love, your patience, your gentleness, your kindness and your compassion.
Then do not apparterremo the common history. We will be in Rome, Berlin, Paris, Africa or Argentina, everywhere, but we will do part of another people, another history, we are of those who participate in the sorrow of Gethsemane, working for change in the history of destiny of man and salvation.
If we can not live with such an absolute mystery of the altar that contains all of Gethsemane and the Passion before it was completed, the sacramental life there will be very useful, because we not only participate in the transformation of bread into the essence of the body, but to all the sacramental significance: the love that has aroused the sacrament, the mystery that is, to sacrifice it implicitly and explicitly present.
Tonight, during this Mass is the renewal of the great mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, which takes place in spite of our unworthiness and littleness, I pray each of us to leave the ordinary course of history and his own destiny and join the apparently glorious destiny full of the cross, redemption and love.
We will go the same place, we will take the same actions, but will not be the same, we will be free, without fear, because our Master is the Christ of Gethsemane. A huge demonstration of love has pierced from one side to the story, accompanied by miracles, moments of elation, of wisdom, inconceivable sacrifices for the common man. Yet it is sad to see how this is often covered and smothered by the needs, desires, fears, petty feelings, ambitions die every twilight.
Now, we can not penetrate with small steps and small desires in the sacramental mystery of the Church, even though we are priests. Masses are celebrated that right or wrong, that priests are atheists or revolutionary, it does not matter, the eternal mystery of the Sacrifice of the Altar on earth is done continuously. And we are called, while participating in this story, to work for the blessing of the entire universe.
If we receive with loving heart, suffering and blessing the testimony of St. Paul on the Eucharist and that of St. John on the washing of feet, and if we accept that nothing more than the union with Christ, leaving all worries, fears and ambitions, we will be free and for everything we say with Christ in Gethsemane: "Not as I will but as You wish." If we say this with all our heart, we will be free, even if tomorrow we were to visit us in prison for life.
Find out from the other universe, and. New Town
Homily of Card. Giuseppe Siri in S. Mass of the Lord's Supper (1973)
In the first reading is from Exodus (12, 1-8.11-14) remembers the killing of the first passage of the Red Sea prefigured and prophesied that he would set up the sacrifice of the Lord on this day, Holy Thursday. In the second reading St Paul summed up the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice in the Letter to the Corinthians (Cor 11, 23-26). In the third reading (Jn 13, 1-15) can be a bit 'confused because you do not speak or institution of the Holy Eucharist or Sacrifice of the Mass. So here we must explain.
Since then chapter 14 ° S. John, he reports the facts and said that on that memorable night of the Lord's Supper served as the boundary, and a framework establishing the institution of the Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. S. John, who first, in chapter 6 ° (vv. 22ss), we reported the Eucharistic discourse in Capernaum, where Jesus said, reaffirmed, it seems almost violently, the truth of the Eucharist, the institution is silent, but gives us the framework and the outline and context. The song that you heard read part of this context.
In the context of our Lord reminded those things we could comfort the apostles after his split, and I will not enumerate them, because this is not the subject of our discussions this evening. In that speech, however, Jesus spoke of moral attitudes to be the true boundary of the Eucharist. And these moral attitudes in part, the deed has announced, in part, has announced with sayings.
With the washing of the feet and made his disciples to proclaim that you have just heard, wanted to declare that the facts around the Eucharist with the first gift, the first decoration, the first ornament is humility, because it gave a wonderful example of humility: He knelt, Lord and Master, to his disciples and washed their feet. You have to remember - we're a bit 'far from those uses - that service was part of education and the acts by which any person receiving a guest in the house before coming to the table. So the thing itself is not extraordinary. It is remarkable that the Lord's face, and said, I said: "If I did it - call me Master and Lord, and they are - you have to do to you" (Jn 13, 14). It is therefore an example of humility. Must we learn not only from the evangel of the great things that can also be convenient to great speeches, but you have to learn the nuances from the evangel ascetic, and here we have one, because of this I am indebted to you. Here we have one.
What is humility? We have seen it described: kneeling before the Lord to the disciples and washes their feet. But volendone give a definition, what is humility? Humility is the truth, that we do not evaluate in more, not less than what we are and act accordingly. It is clear that if we assess ten, twelve we can not expect from others. But here's the nuance and, if you will, the question that Jesus responds with the facts. It's a little 'difficult than we men are in truth when we evaluate ourselves. It is good if you remember them all. It is difficult and will, for the instinct of self and personality, we are led to consider ourselves more than we really are, without realizing it and not for ill will, but just a natural instinct that the ego tends to rise. Then, not to find out the truth - what happens in the most cases - you have to learn what the Lord has taught us in the gospel passage we have read. That is necessary that we see others as God's creatures and therefore do not think ever before to lower yourself to others, when, seeing in them the image of God with faith - are children of God - we also abound in the service and dedication of us, if you like humiliation. This is the teaching of Our Lord. We should not be doing a lot of mathematical calculations, and even of approximation, we can abound because we do not bow down before men, but c'inchiniamo always and only before God, when we act by faith. If we do something like this not by faith, we should admit that in fact joined Liamo ourselves. But when we have faith, we will not ever humble.
But there is another nuance, which is underlined by the Savior's words directly. We, in the humility, we can easily make pettifoggers, that make the speech on the right, make the comparison: I admit that this does not touch that. We can say: I have the right, my right I should be recognized. That's right, but the Lord said: "Look, when it comes to have humility, you are not doing the legal issues, what is more, what is not. I'll give you an example: I am Lord and Master, you can not measure the distance that separates me from you in dignity, but I bow. And then there were legal issues to do: be great! "That's the conclusion, dear: to be humble, that is the truth about us, with its consequences, because the limit is too compromised by the instinct of the truth ours, which tends to increase, we always have to lower a little 'what seems right to us and us debt, just to remain so, approximately, in truth. Humility is nothing but the truth.
When we remember that we are poor, we made some blood, but also the body, with all its miseries and all these things, we understand that we can not give us too many airs. When we consider that we are small against the forces of nature, that we are powerless in the face to most of them, and when we remember that microorganisms are sufficient to undermine our life and take it from us, when we disappear before the great movements of history; when we remember that we are sinners in need of mercy, forbearance on the part of God, forgiveness and mercy from God and from men, we make no exaggeration. We would like a little 'further down, probably in this way we are in the truth, and the homage and the outline of the Most Holy Eucharist is this moral truth that is called humility.
I appeal to those - perhaps there are none here, I hope at least, because I would have pain - that would be stingy with all the freebies you have to make to the Holy Eucharist. I would like to address those - here there is none, I think - who would take everything and condemn all the divine liturgy and all the things you do around the Lord misery sordid, sordid. And I say, beware that the more things you can put around the Holy Sacrifice, which are always an imperative for us because He is your Lord and Master, we must put our humility. When there is this humility, does not count, you are not doing calculations, you are not to make cuts, do not ask decreases. No, this argument no longer holds, because we are so small that if we can put around the Lord anything that serves to complete our gap, but only to demonstrate the willingness to bridge our gaps, we will not ever exaggerate. We do not do anything foolish or nor antiquated, we are simply reasonable, because the Gospel passage that we read today has taught us to be reasonable. Beware, as it is of God, be reasonable to understand that you mean to deal with the Infinite, the Eternal, Who loves us with all of eternity, who will judge us with justice and who will embrace us with infinite mercy. The reason that we must have the things of God, since moving to the terms, it is not reasonable that we can use counting when we go to the market to buy something. No, it's another reasonableness. Let us not become smaller than we are and remember that we should not look bad in front of God
With these sentiments now proceed to repeat the same gesture of humility that has made our Lord. I'll do it now, but I would like you who heard His example. Accingiamoci to repeat the unbloody sacrifice offered by Him with the first consecration at the Last Supper. Accingiamoci again to worship the Eucharist, He, He! And in all our reasonings meters, measuring and reference point remains always and only him! So be it.
Homilies by the liturgical year, and. Faith & Culture
