The
days that follow the great paschal feast of Easter are the seasonal days of
spring in the Northern hemisphere. It is a time of change, a moving on from
winter and the warming of the earth bursting with spring flowers.
Looking back
for a moment to the recent days of the Triduum, we recall the visit of Francis
on Holy Thursday to the Italian Refugee centre near
Rome
. It was there that he chose
to wash the feet of refugees with the humility we have come to expect of him.
Those picked for this Easter ritual were four Nigerian Catholics, three Eritrean
Coptic women, three Muslims from
Mali
,
Pakistan
and
Syria
and a Hindu Indian, as well
as an Italian worker from the centre. For those who have found difficulty with
his teaching over this sacramental action, it proved to be a problem yet again.
His movement away from the liturgical convenience and tidiness of a church
sanctuary with carefully chosen men, proved to be a real challenge.
Not only were some unwilling to accept the inclusion of women but that
those whose feet were washed included a number of non-Christians, posed
difficult questions. His action did indeed say much, offered an example of faith
that went beyond accustomed practice and brought us up face to face with service
to all, whoever they may be. In some parishes, the problem of the inclusion of
women was no doubt solved by ignoring the Rite altogether, hoping that better
times would come with a return to normality, their own definition of what
normality means, that is.
A church without challenge is a church that is not itself challenging
others. Being comfortable in our faith is convenient enough, we can move week by
week through a liturgical cycle that is familiar, a cycle that relates to our
early experience of faith, but allows little growth or progress.
How would our
local parish grouping react to being attacked in a park as they celebrated the
feast of Easter, attacked only because of their Christian faith? That happened
in
Lahore
this year, with significant
loss of life.
That
is why the action of Francis this Easter was so important. It did not
differentiate by colour or faith, but offered an open hand of love and
forgiveness to all who were willing to accept it.
Anniversaries can be times of celebration or memorial, times of healing or
the renewal of old animosities.
In recent days,
we have seen a fine example of one such occasion, the remembrance of the fateful
Easter uprising in
Dublin
in 1916 and the celebration
of nationhood. Forgiveness does not involve forgetfulness, but it does demand a
willingness to live in a new way, alongside each other in recognition of our
common humanity.
There are many parts of our uneasy planet where such an example would be
an ease to a new relationship.
This year it is
reported that the crowds of pilgrims visiting
Rome
for the Easter festival
have shown a significant decrease on recent years, with the overt presence of
armed militia guarding places popular with visitors. It has been that way in
Bethlehem
for some time when, at
Christmas, pilgrims gather to celebrate the nativity. It is incongruous to
celebrate such Christian feasts in the shadow of the gun. But that is where we
are. There is no use arguing that it should not be so but every purpose in our
trying to change circumstances so that the need should not arise.
It doesn’t happen overnight. Change comes about through being patient,
considering events and waiting for the right moment. John XXIII found one such
moment in the early 60s. Others heard his voice and followed in his footsteps.
Yet not everyone is of the same mind. For some the testing times of change
proved to be too much and they sought stability in remembered times.
The challenge of Francis comes from his stability within a continuity of
faith, in his asking new questions at a different time.
Other anniversaries will come later this year and, in 2017, recognition of
500 years since the Lutheran declaration in late October, 1517. One can only
speculate now, but there is a feeling that if Luther’s position had been given
better consideration, subsequent years of pain and intolerance might have been
avoided.
Maybe in the coming months we would do well to consider how best to heal the
rift in Christendom. Washing the stranger’s feet is not a bad start.
END
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