03/29/2005: "Reflections on Sunday's readings"

Easter Sunday... there is so much to say about Easter. It is the heart of our faith. Today I want to focus not just on Sunday's readings but on the entire Triduum (see the question of the day for an explanation of the Triduum).

The story of Jesus's final days are amazing in so many ways. I heard recently the argument that the Gospel must be made up because it is just too perfect. How was Jesus to know he was to be arrested the next day? How did he know it was his last supper? It's funny how one can turn the dramatic testimony of the Gospel writers on its head. Instead of the traditional Christian argument saying that Jesus must be God because of how amazingly it all fell into place, now it is clearly false because of how amazingly it all fell into place.

But it isn't false, it is Truth!

I can't imagine any human having the wisdom to institute the Eucharist, to wash the feet of His disciples and to teach them about their relationship to Christ through the vine and the branches. He taught them this knowing that they were not going to understand the next day. He stayed with them, knowing he was going to be betrayed. He stood silent while being tried the next day, knowing he was going to be killed. He submitted to death, knowing he was going to defeat it. He rose from the dead knowing he had won salvation for all of us.