Holy Thursday 2019 - a podcast by Fr. Chris Valka, CSB

PARTICIPATING IN OUR HOLINESS

There has always been an inherent danger in the celebration of this great feast:  which is to make it more “holy” than “human”. That is to say, that it is so very easy to believe that Jesus, as the Son of God, was following a kind of divine script– which consequently puts distance between him and us.  Jesus becomes more of an example or model, held up on a kind of pedestal, rather than a life to be shared and experienced. 

But the entire point of this liturgy – this evening, tomorrow and Saturday/Sunday – is that we are not just called to emulate it – we are called to participate in it. 

I have long said that many of us would be well-served by a sort of spiritual amnesia.  For too long, we have allowed our understanding of the spiritual life to be shaped by dualistic notions that conclude the body is less holy; and that what we do in this life only matters as preparation for the next. 

But that is inconsistent with everything Jesus said and did:  the Kingdom of Heaven is here – it is simply up to us to recognize it.  When we fully embrace our authentic humanity, we fully live out our holiness. And the way we do that is what these next few days are all about.

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