Fr. Eric: It's pretty understandable that Christians can have a view of Jesus of really being perfect and never really experiencing anything of, disappointment or failure as well. And so we see in beautiful statues. We see in scripture readings that are given to us, or we watch TV series or movies about Jesus. And somehow we know how the story ends. So for us, it's hard to understand that Jesus failed.
The scholars will tell us that up to this point, Jesus was seen as a failure. Not many people were listening to him. Many in the Jewish community were not becoming disciples. In fact, they were fighting amongst themselves saying, who is this guy? How can we believe in him?
And it isn't until now that this happens that the religious leaders now decide it is time to kill him because they know that this will bring followers. And so this is interesting that Jesus takes his time to see his good friend Lazarus, who's also he's friends with Martha and Mary. I don't know about you, but if a good friend of mine is really in need of me, I'm dropping everything and going. And so when Jesus gets this message, says, Lazarus really needs you. Come quick.
And Jesus goes, I'll stay here for two more days. What's that all about? That doesn't make sense. In the ancient Mediterranean world, in many cultures, the belief was, well, then when people died, they could have been asleep because a number of people got up from their coma or they really weren't dead at that moment. But the belief was that the spirit would hover over the body.
And after the third day, the spirit would leave for good because the spirit would not recognize the face of the body that was decomposing. And that's why Jesus waits until four days have passed so that no one will say, well, you know what? He was asleep anyway. No big deal. That's why Jesus wanted no doubt about it that he was dead.
What is the amazing thing that happens to Lazarus? Come out of the tomb and Lazarus is free because he's given life, but he is bound. His hands are bound. He's really walking like a mummy because they would put bandages or funeral wrappings on him. So he is not really free even though he's alive.
This is meant for us because many times Christians think of resurrection as something that happens when you die. There's no benefits to resurrection. We're gonna be here at Easter because those we've lost through death or when we die, we hope we have enough brownie points to get into heaven. We hope Saint Peter will say, alright. We'll let you in the back way.
That was a close call. And so we always think resurrection is down the road when you die. Living life now in a way that we are released from things that bind us is what resurrection is about, and that's what he's trying to tell us. That we do and can live in freedom, but we can be bound. Many times people are bound by anger.
They feel really comfortable and more familiar with the burial wrappings of anger because forgiveness is too hard. Other people choose then not to be patient, but they would rather judge because it's a lot easier because their impatience happens to take over them. So they are bound by that. For others, it's a need to control people and events all the time, which leads to fear. And fear is very prevalent in the lives of many people.
That's why scripture constantly talks about not being afraid. And so what Jesus is saying is untie him. Let him go. What things are binding us? What things do we struggle with that don't allow us to live the way that God wants us to live as the fruits of living resurrection?
Healing also happens to the community. Notice what Jesus says, untie him and let him go. Who's he telling that to? I don't know about you, but if he says, untie American, let him go free. I would say, you're the one that did it.
You're the one that healed him. You do it. Because that's how times many Christians feel like it's not my responsibility. And yet healing is not only divine. It is communal.
That's why it's very interesting when people make this decision in their spiritual life saying, I really don't need community. It's me and the bible. And if there's any problems, I'm gonna quote this chapter and this verse, and I'll get through. And then I get to pick and choose who I want to be close to. If you agree, if you don't really cost me that much, if you're not a problem, I'm gonna love you.
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. And yet they don't want to take the struggle of the challenge of living in community.
And yet communal living is healing. Who do we need to unbound or unbind? You know, again, they don't need our correction. They don't need our judgment, but that people need to know that they are loved. Many times they just need to know that they're not lost.
For others, it's simply belonging because people don't feel connected. They feel lost. And so healing is not only divine, but it is communal. And that's why that's our role to be part of community at mass, in your daily lives, at school, at work, in your neighborhoods, at the marketplace. That Jesus says, untie them and let them go.
And that's our role. So as we begin with holy week starting next Sunday, I want you to think of things that you and I are bound by. What burial garments keep us from being fully risen people? I'd you to take a look at it as we enter to Holy Week. And maybe who in your life can you offer communal healing of acceptance, of forgiveness, or invitation?
Next Sunday, we call this Palm Sunday. Now all of you know that you're gonna get your Palms. Okay? You can take more than one. Alright?
Because if we didn't offer palms, there's no proof that you came to mass. Okay? So you need your palms, and we'll give you plenty of them as well. But you know what? This Sunday is more importantly in lurge liturgy documents.
It's Passion Sunday. The highlight is not the palms. It's the proclamation of the passion. It's a little longer, passion. Okay?
So the gospel is gonna be longer. So don't think father Eric likes to make holy week really long. And we're going to another church because this is just too long. Guess what? It's long at every parish around the world, because the rites and document talk.
We invite you to wear red. Red is a sign that Jesus prepares to give his life, shed his blood for his people as well. So that begins Holy Week, an invitation to treat this week differently. On April 2, on Holy Thursday, we have the commemoration of the last supper, the institution of the Eucharist. And so that is important.
Now for some Catholics, there's such a heavy emphasis and a devotion to the host. Hold the host a little higher. Let's expose it so that we can pray in front of it a lot. And also, where's the tabernacle because it's not in the right place. And, you know, they missed the mark because it is a foundation of what we believe.
That is true. But in the gospel at every holy Thursday, in John's gospel, there's no mention of take and eat, take and drink. You know what gospel for holy Thursday on the last supper is? Wash feet of others. See, you can be all concerned about the host not being held high or it's not respected or people don't bow enough.
You can do all that, but that's not the end result of Eucharist. Eucharist is service and washing the feet of others. And I would challenge all of us, including myself, to watch the feet of those you can't stand. People you disagree with, people that don't make you feel comfortable, as well as the people you love. At this parish, we invite the whole parish to come and wash each other's feet.
The most humbling thing I see every year is having children wash the feet of parents. You should see the parents face when that happens. They can't believe that's going on. I guess all those taxi rides that you give your children are worth it. Because they in turn wash the parents' feet.
And I've also seen where people have had disagreements. People were not getting along. It was a bumpy part of the relationship and they decide to wash each other's feet. That's very powerful. So Eucharist leads us to wash the feet of others.
We don't stay stuck with a host. That's a good foundation to have. We should respect that, but if it doesn't lead us to service, we are missing the mark of what Holy Thursday and Eucharist is. After mass, we will take the host out to the front, And from there, after mass until midnight, everyone is welcome to come and pray because Jesus is asking for his disciples. Can you stay awake in the garden with me?
I need you here because again Jesus is really afraid and the disciples can barely keep their eyes open. And so it's a reminder that Jesus is teaching us to pray and part of our theme is to Lord teach us to pray. So you're invited just to come for ten minutes, half an hour, an hour. There's people there through the whole night up until midnight. On Good Friday, there's no mass anywhere in the world.
At noon, we have stations of the cross by our children in making that presentation. And then at 06:30PM, which is also on Holy Thursday, the time as well, that is when we have the service, The proclamation of the passion. Again, the veneration of the cross, kissing the cross. The entire community comes to venerate one cross. And then at that service, we offer communion, not mass, but communion for people to receive on that.
Holy Saturday is the time that people will be baptized. We have a number of people who are now the elect. They were called the catechumen, meaning they haven't been baptized yet, but they will receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. Eucharist completes initiation. So at 08:00, the whole diocese wants to start at the same time.
We'll honor that from the bishop, but I'm gonna get in that font and no one say, there goes all the water. But we're going to baptize about 23 people there, and that'll go smoothly. And then others who are candidates already baptized in other Christian communities, but we recognize their baptism. They're not rebaptized. They are recognized, and then they receive confirmation in Eucharist, and they come to the table for the first time.
And then at Easter, please be aware of the mass times, 08:15, two masses. 10:45, two masses, and then one final mass, one mass at 12:30. Healing is divine, and it's also communal.
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