Memories — are they not a special thing in life? And when we remember, sometimes what we remember becomes more important than the actual event we are remembering. And sometimes, the memory isn’t exactly our memory of an event we experienced, but a memory that has been given to us or shared with us.
That was so for the Passover meal.
In Jesus’ time, they were celebrating an event that had happened about 1,400 years before. All were to go through a very specific list of things they were to do and very specific ways of doing it.
They were to celebrate in word and action the great event preceding the escape from slavery in Egypt, accomplished by God through Moses. They even were to eat this meal with a staff in their hand to symbolize and celebrate that this was truly an “eat-and-run” situation.
St. Paul writes, in his letter to the Corinthians, using similar language of celebration —
“I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.”
Then, using specific words and actions, the memory was to be done. It is being done this very day, and almost every day, throughout the year.
The celebration unites and celebrates today’s Gospel: TheLast Supper. Even the title we use is The Last Supper. Did the apostles have any clue whatsoever of the significance of this meal? And in John’s Gospel, Jesus loads this meal with even more meaning. In John’s Gospel, Jesus slips into this meal an action and a call to service.
Frankly, at least in our English language, the way this comes about seems a bit strange — remarking about the devil having induced and seduced Judas the Iscariot to betray Jesus and to hand him over.
Then it says so – why so? So… and then Jesus sets in motion this rather startling action.
He puts on a towel, then goes about washing the feet of his apostles. Even they are stunned, and Peter tries to prevent it with another one of his bold statements —
“You will never wash my feet.”
Well, Peter had some learning to do! But to be true to his word, Jesus explained —
“What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”
And so, once a year, we do it — we celebrate the washing of the feet; we learn in word and action; and we celebrate the meal we call Eucharist, and we are fed.
This, it seems to me, is another case of entering into a kind of liminal space, the space of mystery and symbolism and remembering and speaking and acting (eating) and hearing call(s), and responding in faith and in love.
And although we do Eucharist every day, almost (we don’t do it on Good Friday and Holy Saturday before sundown), this day is different. This day remembers some remarkable words and moments in Jesus’ life.
It has been handed on to us and we hand it on to others — specifically our children and our children’s children, and our children’s children’s children, and our … —
OK, I’ll stop; we get the point.
Thank God for memories — especially these great memories of faith. And hopefully, when we celebrate them very simply or with special dignity as, on this night, may they always be celebrations that teach and gift us, and love us in our journeys with the Lord and with one another!
