21 July 2017 - feast forward

Today's Readings

I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.

There is always the temptation in ritual to forget the purpose of the ritual. God does not establish any of it for it's own sake. It is meant to bring us closer to him.

If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
you would not have condemned these innocent men.

This does not mean we throw away the ritual with the bath water. It is instead a way to ensure that we don't put ritual to the wrong use. We don't set ourselves up as the judge of others based on our ritual performance scorecards, for example.

It seems like the more intensely important the ritual is the more likely we are to misuse it.

This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month
every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb,
one apiece for each household.

Why is this? We get so concerned about the formulas that we forget what the feast is all about.

It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.

The feasts we celebrate are all feasts of God's mercy. They are rich opportunities for grace. And yes, the details are important. Vital, even. But the details only make sense in the context of the relationship these feasts are meant to deepen. Imagine, for instance, going to confession but not thinking about how confession is a personal contact with Jesus, the savior who offers forgiveness. We can do it. We can check it off the list. It still works. It's better, no doubt, than nothing. But we are drastically limiting the grace that can change us if we receive only in this way. Grace is received according to to the condition of the receiver. Here. Let's feel smart with some Latin from Thomas Aquinas: "Quidquid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur". This is literally "whatever is received into something is received according to the condition of the receiver." From this we see that formula isn't enough for feast to have its full effect. Only the grace of our relationship with Jesus can do this. It almost sounds like we have to earn it. But that isn't the case. We need only be open to it.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.