Isaiah 62:11-63:7/Revelation 1:5b-7/St Luke 22-23
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Beloved, you are among those whom Jesus has chosen, called The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. Your Holy Baptism testifies to this and His Word of Absolution reaffirms and upholds this reality; for in this way He washes your feet and cleanses you. You are a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom He loves and serves faithfully, even unto death.
Indeed He welcomes you to recline at His Table with Him, to lean on Him and rest yourself in Him. Here He feeds you, from His own hand, that bread which is His own Body and He gives you to drink from that Cup of Salvation which is the New Testament in His holy and precious Blood.
Consider and take to heart that He did the same for Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. And you are no greater, no better or strainer, than either of those men, who were among the chosen twelve disciples and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not suppose that you can guard or keep yourself from harm and danger, from the assaults and accusations of the devil, from the temptations and deceptions of Satan who hates you and seeks to destroy you. For that wicked foe would sift you like wheat, and with craft and spite he would lead you astray, away from Christ Jesus, into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice.
By yourself you are prone to both pride and despair; and, because of your fallen, mortal flesh, you are a sitting duck and easy prey for the enemy. Left to yourself you could not stand or survive, regardless of how many oaths you swear with St Peter.
Therefore do not presume to take your life, nor any other matters, into your own hands. Do not betray your Lord and see Him out, neither for cash nor any other advantage. And do not boast or presume that you are man enough to do that which Jesus alone is able to do. Do not attempt to save yourself, to go it alone, to be your own savior; which you do when you neglect or decline the means of grace and salvation, by which Christ Jesus serves you and sustains you in His mercy.
As we enter the Holy Triduum and always, repent or your presumptuous pride and sinful self-righteousness. Repent. But do not despair of Christ and His love, for despair is simply the other side of pride and is it every bit as sinful and self-righteous.
Repent of your betrayals and of your denials. Repent of your despair. Repent and be lifted up by Christ Jesus in His full and free forgiveness of all your sins. For He has prayed for you that your faith in Him may not fail.
It is true that you cannot follow Him at first, go where He goes, nor to do what He does. This is His prerogative alone, His divine glory, to go and do this for you, for your salvation. But you shall follow Him hereafter, by His Cross and Resurrection, by grace through faith in Him as a disciple whom He dearly loves, by the Word of His Gospel, and in His Holy Spirit.
So does He call you to love your neighbor as He has loved you. And as He continues to love and serve you. But you love, only and ever because He first loves you: faithfully, freely, fully.
He loves you with divine Love, a love with which He washes the feet and feeds both the body and soul of those who betray and deny Him, and who run away from Him in fear in the time of trial.
His disciples argue about who is the greatest among them, while the Great One dons apron and towel in loving service to them. This is His greatness. He is among them as One who serves. Thus does He likewise send His slaves and servants of His Word to speak and act as He does, on His behalf, in His Name and stead. All of those slaves and servants and sent ones are sinful, mortal men, no better or stronger than yourself; and of themselves, no better or stronger than Judas or Peter, themselves betraying and denying the Lord Jesus who bought them.
But it is Christ Jesus who sends them to you, in love, and it is Him that you hear and receive in the Ministry of His Gospel. He knows you, your weakness, your sin. He knows your betrayals and denials. They have not surprised Him or caught Him in circumstances beyond His control. He turns to look at you not in judgment and condemnation, not to trod you in His anger, but to seek you ought in love, to restore and relieve you.
He goes the Cross as the Father as sent Him. He lays down His life willingly for you; because He loves you, even to the end. And so does He love you precisely in this way and has freed you from your sins by His blood and made you a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.
And not only that, but in His great love for you, even now He welcomes you to recline at Table with Him, where He feeds you with His Body and His Blood, your priestly meat and drink indeed. Yes, even you! For you are clothed in the splendid of His righteousness and strength, despite your own unrighteousness and weakness. You are His Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, Not Forsaken. Recount His compassion and the abundance of His steadfast love. His hour is nearly at hand. Behold, He is coming and every eye will see Him, even those who have pierced Him. Even so. Amen.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Beloved, you are among those whom Jesus has chosen, called The Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord. Your Holy Baptism testifies to this and His Word of Absolution reaffirms and upholds this reality; for in this way He washes your feet and cleanses you. You are a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom He loves and serves faithfully, even unto death.
Indeed He welcomes you to recline at His Table with Him, to lean on Him and rest yourself in Him. Here He feeds you, from His own hand, that bread which is His own Body and He gives you to drink from that Cup of Salvation which is the New Testament in His holy and precious Blood.
Consider and take to heart that He did the same for Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. And you are no greater, no better or strainer, than either of those men, who were among the chosen twelve disciples and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not suppose that you can guard or keep yourself from harm and danger, from the assaults and accusations of the devil, from the temptations and deceptions of Satan who hates you and seeks to destroy you. For that wicked foe would sift you like wheat, and with craft and spite he would lead you astray, away from Christ Jesus, into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice.
By yourself you are prone to both pride and despair; and, because of your fallen, mortal flesh, you are a sitting duck and easy prey for the enemy. Left to yourself you could not stand or survive, regardless of how many oaths you swear with St Peter.
Therefore do not presume to take your life, nor any other matters, into your own hands. Do not betray your Lord and see Him out, neither for cash nor any other advantage. And do not boast or presume that you are man enough to do that which Jesus alone is able to do. Do not attempt to save yourself, to go it alone, to be your own savior; which you do when you neglect or decline the means of grace and salvation, by which Christ Jesus serves you and sustains you in His mercy.
As we enter the Holy Triduum and always, repent or your presumptuous pride and sinful self-righteousness. Repent. But do not despair of Christ and His love, for despair is simply the other side of pride and is it every bit as sinful and self-righteous.
Repent of your betrayals and of your denials. Repent of your despair. Repent and be lifted up by Christ Jesus in His full and free forgiveness of all your sins. For He has prayed for you that your faith in Him may not fail.
It is true that you cannot follow Him at first, go where He goes, nor to do what He does. This is His prerogative alone, His divine glory, to go and do this for you, for your salvation. But you shall follow Him hereafter, by His Cross and Resurrection, by grace through faith in Him as a disciple whom He dearly loves, by the Word of His Gospel, and in His Holy Spirit.
So does He call you to love your neighbor as He has loved you. And as He continues to love and serve you. But you love, only and ever because He first loves you: faithfully, freely, fully.
He loves you with divine Love, a love with which He washes the feet and feeds both the body and soul of those who betray and deny Him, and who run away from Him in fear in the time of trial.
His disciples argue about who is the greatest among them, while the Great One dons apron and towel in loving service to them. This is His greatness. He is among them as One who serves. Thus does He likewise send His slaves and servants of His Word to speak and act as He does, on His behalf, in His Name and stead. All of those slaves and servants and sent ones are sinful, mortal men, no better or stronger than yourself; and of themselves, no better or stronger than Judas or Peter, themselves betraying and denying the Lord Jesus who bought them.
But it is Christ Jesus who sends them to you, in love, and it is Him that you hear and receive in the Ministry of His Gospel. He knows you, your weakness, your sin. He knows your betrayals and denials. They have not surprised Him or caught Him in circumstances beyond His control. He turns to look at you not in judgment and condemnation, not to trod you in His anger, but to seek you ought in love, to restore and relieve you.
He goes the Cross as the Father as sent Him. He lays down His life willingly for you; because He loves you, even to the end. And so does He love you precisely in this way and has freed you from your sins by His blood and made you a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.
And not only that, but in His great love for you, even now He welcomes you to recline at Table with Him, where He feeds you with His Body and His Blood, your priestly meat and drink indeed. Yes, even you! For you are clothed in the splendid of His righteousness and strength, despite your own unrighteousness and weakness. You are His Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord, Not Forsaken. Recount His compassion and the abundance of His steadfast love. His hour is nearly at hand. Behold, He is coming and every eye will see Him, even those who have pierced Him. Even so. Amen.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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