Day 40: The home stretch
So, it's the 40th day!
The final day of Lent is actually Holy Thursday. So, since I'd covered all the Sundays of lent, I've completed 39 days and gotten here without having ideally covered every reading in the Holy Week. To wrap up my exercise, I will focus on the verses from Thursday and (good) Friday to wrap up this exercise, as it's at the heart of Christian faith.
I attended the service yesterday and was surprised to find almost half of it was in Polish - both songs and readings. Didn't realize there was such a huge Polish community in Taunton, UK and thought it interesting. (Prayer and song sound even more intriguing when you don't understand the language so you are forced to go by feel and not by words).
Interestingly, unlike the case in India where 12 older folks are selected for the washing of the feet, the main priest walked down the middle of the church and washed different people's feet (seemingly at random).
Maundy Thursday
As a child, the washing of a feet was kind of a cool spectacle for me, just a new thing to happen in church in addition to the regular proceedings. I've only ever dismissed it as 'yet another ritual I didn't get' and never really pondered on its meaning really until yesterday when I read the verse from John 13:1-15. I was aware that this was the night Jesus insitituted priesthood and the Eucharist too, both crucially important to Christian faith. But, I never realized that in reality, the central theme was about service. God serving men so that men can serve one another.
Things that stood out for me
- Jesus washing the feet of his disciple and betrayer, Judas. It's kind of amazing that he did this. Talk about perfect love and mercy and forgiveness. It's what each of us are called to do. To live in humility, and make ourselves meek (not weak, but strong) so that we might serve even the people who hurt us!
- The new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you". A cornerstone of Christian faith is to love each other. It's so central and so important, that Jesus himself marked it out as the new commandment. It's so basic and we need it now more than ever, when the world is so fragmented and determined to knock each other down because of our differences.
Takeaway: Each one of us is called to a life of service through God who strengthens us.
Good Friday
Today's reading focuses on the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. I read this really powerful interpretation which interprets Jesus's last few words while dying. I've picked the ones that made the most impact on me.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Again, this displays groundbreaking depths of Jesus's ability to forgive, even as he suffers torment from those who put them down.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Shows the human side of Jesus as he feels the full suffering and anguish of what sin has cost him even while he knows he's doing God's will.
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Words of complete surrender to God. The ultimate prayer is being able to let go and trust God completely.
Takeaway: Jesus' death and suffering gives us redemption and salvation through perfect love and forgiveness.
The final day of Lent is actually Holy Thursday. So, since I'd covered all the Sundays of lent, I've completed 39 days and gotten here without having ideally covered every reading in the Holy Week. To wrap up my exercise, I will focus on the verses from Thursday and (good) Friday to wrap up this exercise, as it's at the heart of Christian faith.
I attended the service yesterday and was surprised to find almost half of it was in Polish - both songs and readings. Didn't realize there was such a huge Polish community in Taunton, UK and thought it interesting. (Prayer and song sound even more intriguing when you don't understand the language so you are forced to go by feel and not by words).
Interestingly, unlike the case in India where 12 older folks are selected for the washing of the feet, the main priest walked down the middle of the church and washed different people's feet (seemingly at random).
Maundy Thursday
As a child, the washing of a feet was kind of a cool spectacle for me, just a new thing to happen in church in addition to the regular proceedings. I've only ever dismissed it as 'yet another ritual I didn't get' and never really pondered on its meaning really until yesterday when I read the verse from John 13:1-15. I was aware that this was the night Jesus insitituted priesthood and the Eucharist too, both crucially important to Christian faith. But, I never realized that in reality, the central theme was about service. God serving men so that men can serve one another.
Things that stood out for me
- Jesus washing the feet of his disciple and betrayer, Judas. It's kind of amazing that he did this. Talk about perfect love and mercy and forgiveness. It's what each of us are called to do. To live in humility, and make ourselves meek (not weak, but strong) so that we might serve even the people who hurt us!
- The new commandment: "Love one another as I have loved you". A cornerstone of Christian faith is to love each other. It's so central and so important, that Jesus himself marked it out as the new commandment. It's so basic and we need it now more than ever, when the world is so fragmented and determined to knock each other down because of our differences.
Takeaway: Each one of us is called to a life of service through God who strengthens us.
Good Friday
Today's reading focuses on the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. I read this really powerful interpretation which interprets Jesus's last few words while dying. I've picked the ones that made the most impact on me.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Again, this displays groundbreaking depths of Jesus's ability to forgive, even as he suffers torment from those who put them down.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Shows the human side of Jesus as he feels the full suffering and anguish of what sin has cost him even while he knows he's doing God's will.
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Words of complete surrender to God. The ultimate prayer is being able to let go and trust God completely.
Takeaway: Jesus' death and suffering gives us redemption and salvation through perfect love and forgiveness.
Wow ramyakutty . I happened to stumble on your blog . I liked the depth of your thinking analysis and writing
ReplyDeleteKeep it up.very proud of you
Shantichi