Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 19:1-42

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away!  Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
 “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s an incredible true story of a man who freely accepted death during World War Two, which has haunted me all week, reminding me of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Josef Schulz was barely of age when he was drafted into the German army. Early one morning, his commanding officer ordered him and seven other soldiers to grab their rifles and follow him outside of their camp. 

Suddenly, Josef found himself standing on the top of a hill. Looking down, he saw a row of villagers – men, women, and children – standing blindfolded, arms locked, visibly shaking, terrified of what they suspected would be their fate. And rightly so. 

Josef’s commanding officer ordered him and the seven other soldiers to raise their rifles.

But Josef refused.

Putting his rifle down, he walked to the bottom of the hill, and turned and faced his brothers as he locked arms with one of the blindfolded villagers. 

Still, his commanding officer issued the order:

“FIRE!”

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Found inside Josef’s bloodied coat pocket was a verse from Saint Paul:

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (even execution by firing squad). Love never fails.”

What is often recited at weddings made its way into the pocket of a young man, who gave his life for that belief.

“Love never fails.”

Love is why Josef disobeyed military orders, preferring to die in solidarity with total strangers rather than to execute them. One can only imagine the shock and pain of his parents when they first heard the news.

But, as time passed, I’m sure they admired their son’s courage and conviction, as he willingly died like his Lord, leaning into a faith they likely taught him.

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Throughout his own life, Jesus gave himself away. He healed, forgave, and served the needy. As a final act of freedom, he turned and faced his brothers, locking arms with the “villagers.”

On Calvary, Jesus died for all, even Judas Iscariot, the crowds who shouted for his death, the unrepentant thief who scoffed at him, the unlucky soldier who drove nails into his flesh, and certainly for his disciples, even as they abandoned him.

Jesus died for Mary and John who stood at the Cross and watched in horror. He died for young men like Josef who have been killed in the fog of war. He died for all of us who would come to believe in him, honoring his sacrifice today.

While Good Friday is about betrayal, darkness, death, and unthinkable tragedy, it is above all about the love that swallows that darkness whole.

Love is what made Jesus victorious. The hatred and the violence stopped with him. 

And it continues to stop with every Christian who, like Josef Schulz, refuses to retaliate, to follow immoral orders, or to operate by that ancient punitive law, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

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While the loss of any human life is tragic, today we remember there is one thing stronger than death – love.

Divine love. A love, which Saint Paul says, “has been poured into our hearts.”

Such love “does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (even death by a firing squad or a bloody cross on a Friday afternoon). Love never fails.”

May it live on in you and me.

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Image credits: (1) Christ Crucified, Goya (2) Reddit (3) Hymnal Library

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Gospel: John 13: 1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
            for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Kneeling down to wash someone’s feet seems odd to us today. But not in first century Palestine. It was an act of service, often done by servants or slaves.

In the ancient world, people didn’t travel in cars or on well-paved roads. Many walked barefoot along dry and dusty paths. Even those with sandals would occasionally brush their foot against a rock or catch a pebble in their toes, cutting and bruising their feet. 

We can imagine the disciples arriving for dinner on Holy Thursday with dusty, calloused feet. Someone should’ve done the washing – just not Jesus. But the Master is teaching his disciples a lesson, once again.

Peter senses something significant is happening, which is why he says, “Master, wash not only my feet, but my hands and head as well!”

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So, what is the meaning of this divine act of service?

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It was an act of love and a gesture of forgiveness; the Lord was washing not only his disciples’ feet, but also seeking to purify their hearts.

And, some would say, it was the moment of priestly ordination when these twelve imperfect men became the foundation of the Church. Consider some of their stories.

There was Judas, who, while he was having his feet washed, was plotting the final details of Christ’s betrayal. There were James and John, who will fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus is praying.

There was Peter, who will curse and cry as he denies knowing Jesus three times. And, with the exception of John, there’s the rest of the lot who will abandon Jesus as he’s being crucified.

They were all in need of cleansing.

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Perhaps this image of washing feet is also an appropriate image for our own lives. We’re all journeying on different paths which are often strewn with pebbles, gashing our hearts, and callousing our feet.

So, what’s the pebble caught in my own sandal? What life experience has left its mark on me? Or, like the disciples, where do I need the Lord’s forgiveness?

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Tomorrow, the Lord will stoop even lower than he does tonight; Jesus will do much more than wash our feet. He’ll offer his very own Body and Blood for us on the Cross.

As Saint Paul writes in his Letter to the Romans, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To me, that is why the Church – why this church – is so beautiful.

Here Jesus welcomes us. Here he washes our feet. Here he speaks to us through the scriptures. Here he feeds us with a sacred meal – no, not with bread and wine, but with his very own Self.

Where else can we find such healing for our hearts and nourishment for our souls? 

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While removing the dust from our feet is no longer necessary – we aren’t walking in first-century Palestine – we still have our share of cuts and bruises from journeying along the road of life.

The Lord sees our pain and, tonight, he kneels down to cleanse us.

If this is so, then, “Master, wash not only my feet, but my hands and head as well!”

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Image credits: (1) Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Maddox Brown (2) Christadelphian Tidings (3) The First Eucharist, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles

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Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Ever since Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Gospels became the story – not of Jesus alone – but of him and his disciples. Even when the focus is on Jesus or his teaching, his disciples are described as being there.

This is particularly true as they begin their ascent to Jerusalem. James and John are caught arguing over who is the greatest; their mother asks Jesus to reward her sons with a coveted role in his kingdom; Jesus sends his disciples out to fetch him a donkey.

And, at last, he washes their feet and shares a meal with them in the upper room. Not just any meal, however; Jesus feeds his disciples with his own Body and Blood. Only now – after the meal has been offered – is the communion broken by Judas.

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In the succeeding hours, Jesus will become increasingly alone. Not only will his disciples abandon him; even as he cries out in agony from the Cross, his own Father will be silent. 

The same Father who said after the baptism and transfiguration of our Lord, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to him,” will now say nothing. From the Last Supper until his death, Jesus enters into a rare, devastating state of loneliness.

In the ages following the crucifixion and death of our Lord, popular piety has arisen, seeking, perhaps, to re-write history; to revisit what happened; to keep Christ company in his final hours.

One such example is the popular song, Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? A song believed to have been written by enslaved African-Americans, who sang as they worked tirelessly under the beating sun.

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Were you there when they crucified my Lord? The song goes. Were you there when they nail’d him to the cross? Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Sometimes it causes me to tremble.

Were you there?

As we enter into the climax of Holy Week – from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday – may our answer be, “Yes, Lord. A thousand times yes.”

We will be there with you.

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Image credits: (1) Email Meditations, WordPress (2) A Traitor in the Midst, HB Charles Jr. (3) Flickr – Waiting for the Word, Last Supper 27