2nd Passiontide 2014, Eucharist of the Ordinary

2^nd Passiontide

John 6: 1-15

After this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tiberius and a great crowd of people followed him because they had seen the signs of the spirit, which he had performed on those who were ill.

Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus raised his eyes to the world of the spirit, and beheld how crowds of people were coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that all these people may eat?”

He asked this to test his understanding and presence of mind, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “200 denarii [seven months wages] would not buy enough bread for them each to have only a little.”

Woloschina

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up: “A boy is here with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are these among so many?”

Jesus said, “Let the people sit down in groups.” There was plenty of green grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave to those who were seated, likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Now when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.” So, they gathered them, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Seeing the sign that he had done, the people said, “Truly, this is the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus became aware that they intended to come and make him king by force, he withdrew again to the mountain alone by himself.

2^nd Passiontide

March 30, 2014

John 6: 1-15

The Jewish Passover Feast celebrates the Hebrew peoples’ escape from the tenth plague—the death of their first-born. The blood of a lamb was smeared on the doorpost as a sign to the angel of death to pass over their house.  As a result of this plague, they were released from their bondage in Egypt.

In today’s gospel reading, the approaching Passover feast of the year 33 will be different. The lamb will be Christ Himself, whose innocent and selfless blood will be poured into the earth to keep her alive, and to free human beings from the death of matter. But meanwhile Jesus raises his eyes in spirit vision and sees all of those human beings of future ages who will need strengthening nourishment to help keep their souls alive.

Woloschina

In the reading, it is evening. One by one the stars come out. The people sit near the Sea of Galilee, on the lush spring grass. Christ draws down the formative, healing and enlivening power of the stars. These living forces he draws into bread and fish, down into a form that can be taken in by human beings. The life in them is so potent that it takes very little to satisfy their hunger.

At His last supper, on Holy Thursday, He will pour that same power into Bread and Wine, and make them bearers of His body and His enlivening blood. Along with the stars and his own living forces He will pour into them His soul’s deep and selfless love.

In fact He is still drawing down living forces from the stars. He is still pouring His love into bread and wine. He wants to release us from the bondage of the mundane, the bondage of the ordinary. In the words of John O’Donohue:

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place

Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,

Transforming our broken fragments

Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.[1]


www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] John O’Donohue, “ The Inner History of a Day” in To Bless the Space Between Us