what's my never?

 what's my never?

Homily

Holy Thursday 

14 April 2022

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas

AMDg

No no no no no no no . . never!  How many no's did you bring to Mass tonight?  What's your ultimate no? What's your never?  

Mine is easy.  I will never stop trying to figure our life on my own.  I'm too scared to trust Jesus enough to go through life with Him as it really is.

What's your last no?  What's your never?

Peter had multiple nevers!  You will never be crucified on my watch, Jesus!  Wrong! Get behind me Satan.  I will never deny you!  Wrong!  You have said so.  Tonight might be the final final never.  You will never wash my feet!  Ugh . . wrong again.

Whatever no's you brought here tonight, whatever is your never, good luck taking it home with you.  Tonight you're up against a guy who is the absolute worst at taking no for an answer.  Hang on to you never tonight if you can.. I dare you.  In fact, I'm gonna bet against you.

For whenever I tell this guy no, He moves, so that my every step away to escape from Him is transformed into a potential yes that can bring us together again.  And when He moves, He moves dramatically and decisively!

Our first parents said no in the garden.  No, I will not trust.  No I will not follow.  No I will not serve.  In response, He moves!  From the no of the garden He chooses to see the Fiat of the greatest member of our race.  So He moves, dramatically and decisively, from the abundant heart of His Father to the womb of a poor little girl.

What do I say to this baby?  No!  No, I will not hold you.  Don't bother me I'm busy.  Get rid of Him.  Away with Him. Crucify Him!

In response to the no of Calvary, from the denial of Peter who ran away from Him scared, Jesus could see the meager courage of a man like Fr. Dan, and the pathetic yes of a priest like me.  So He moves again!  He moves not only through the yes of the Immaculate Virgin, but even more dramatically and decisively, through my sin-soaked words, to be born on this altar.  Here I am! You thought you got rid of me, didn't you?  But I'm really bad at taking no for an answer. This is my body, broken for you.  This is my blood, poured out for you!

What do I say to the gift of the Eucharist?  I say no!  What will you give me to hand Him over?  Yes, it is one of you eating with me at the table, the one who eats the morsel, who will betray me! Surely, it is not I Lord?  You have said so.

What's your next move, Jesus?  From the no of the ways I abuse and betray Him at the altar, He can still see a yes in you, and He thirst for it.  He can see you little yes, and He won't ever quit on it.  Trust me, the guy is crazy.  Your yes means everything to Him.  As does your contrition.

Lord, I am sorry for hurting you.  I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, but only say the word.  So He moves more dramatically and decisively than ever, from this altar into your body.

Still, the greatest distance remains. Still, Jesus is just getting started.  Unless I wash your feet, you will have no part in me.  No way, Lord!  Never!  I can wash my own feet. Don't be ridiculous.  Leave me alone to figure my life out, to walk my own path.  Don't humiliate me! Never!

Take it from me, the dude will not listen!  Ask Peter if you don't believe me.  Unless I wash your feet, you have no part in me.  Unless I get past your last no, your never, all of this is for nothing, and we have failed.  All of this, His moving from the heart of the Father, through the womb of Mary, through Calvary, to this altar, into the abyss of your body - none of it matters unless you also let Him wash your feet.

So what is your never? Whatever it is, no matter how tightly you cling to it, just know what you're up against tonight.  You're up against the guy who's the absolute worst at taking no for a final answer.

He has come all this way in case any one of us will say yes to His washing our feet.  The sign that He got past my never, is that we will wash each other's feet.