Ideas for using the Liturgy

 

Lord Jesus, you left a table with crumbs of bread – and spills of wine…
You had touched them – blessed them – made them your Body – your Blood…
and left them behind as a sign of your Presence with us – for ever…

Help us to be aware of your Presence here with us tonight –
as real as it was then

Teach our eyes to be instruments of our hearts –
our souls –
so that in Bread we find you.

Bread that was broken…

Reflect on the brokenness of the Bread – crumbs falling unnoticed to the table… Bread being handed out to those gathered – one who was to betray Jesus – one who was to deny knowing him – nine others who were to desert him – and one who was to follow, to stand at the foot of the Cross…

What does Jesus offer you in this sign of brokenness and self-giving?

What does he offer those who have been abused – betrayed – whose accusations have been denied – who have been deserted?

How can you be someone who stands alongside them at the foot of the Cross?

Wine poured – drunk – spilt

Reflect on the pouring out of the Wine – the pouring out of the Blood of Christ… Wine that speaks of the sacrifice of Christ and his invitation to his apostles – and us to be part of that life-giving sacrifice.

The spilling of innocent blood – innocence brutalised by human evil – Blood spilt – the ultimate sacrifice – but unrecognised…

What does Jesus offer you in this sign of pouring out his life-blood?

What do the injuries of Jesus – the shedding of his blood – offer to those who have been abused?

How can you become part of that libation – pouring out your own life for the healing of others?

Lord, you left the table to pray – to plead that God would not ask you to take a path through darkness and agonised suffering –

You were afraid… terrified

You were utterly alone – those whom you so wanted to be with you – to pray with you – did not understand…. they slept on while you wept and sweated blood

You begged God to stop it all – but your words seemed to go unanswered…

You knew agony – torment – despair – the ultimate dark night of soul – of mind and body…

In your agony, you have been where so many have been. You understand their suffering in ways we may not. Take their pain to yourself. Lead them to the trust that enabled you – when all seemed lost – to say, “Not my will but thine be done” knowing that God does not want suffering but that, through yours – the Passion and Death of his own Son, he could redeem the world from sin and death.

Reflect on what Jesus must have experienced in that Garden. What would you wish to say – to do – to ease the anguish? Or simply to be with him in it?

How does the agony of mind and soul speak to those who have been abused?
How can it help you to understand the suffering and deepen your prayer for them?

During this night, you met power – power used unjustly to condemn the innocent – unable – unwilling to listen to your story. The one who was innocent was made to be guilty. The one sinned against was the one to be punished.

Reflect on what you know of Jesus’ “trials” – and consider the experience of so many people who have been abused in the light of what Jesus endured. See the suffering of the innocent at the hands of those who use power to suppress their story – of those who do not – or cannot bring themselves to – believe what they are hearing. Stand alongside those without power – without the words to convince – who know that the odds are stacked against them. Think too of those who are afraid to listen for fear of what might be revealed – afraid of what others will think.

How do Jesus’ experiences help you to understand the plight of children – young people and vulnerable adults who find themselves trying to explain what has happened – especially in circumstances in which they have not been believed?

During this night, you met brutality. There was nothing – and nobody – to stop you being ill-treated – and so you were… just because people could hurt you with impunity they did…. they knew they could get away with it – and thought it was fun

Reflect on what you know of Jesus’ suffering at the hands of soldiers – the physical – emotional abuse heaped upon him even before sentence was passed…

Consider his human feelings of helplessness – pain – humiliation – fear of what was yet to come – and love for those who were causing the suffering. (Part of the problem for those who are abused is that they do love their parents/ priests and don’t want them to get into trouble… it may be uncomfortable but may be worth reminding people that the abuse takes place in a context of what could be seen as otherwise loving relationships)

How does Jesus’ experience speak to that of those who have been abused?

How can he speak to them – perhaps in ways we can’t?

Closing the Vigil

(Note: if the following is done as a shared reflection, the lines “We are at the beginning of the end…” could form a collective response)
Part of the Holy Thursday Vigil is a sense of incompleteness… allow the prayer to feel as if it is ongoing even after people have left

We are at the beginning of the end –
which will itself become a new beginning…
but we are not there yet…

 

Some will go to bed tonight afraid of someone coming to their room…
afraid of someone coming in out of their minds with drink or drugs –
and for it all to begin again…

We are at the beginning of the end –
which will itself become a new beginning…
but we are not there yet… 

 

Some will still be unable to speak of what they have endured –
others –  having spoken – will be living out the consequences

We are at the beginning of the end –
which will itself become a new beginning…
but we are not there yet…

 

For some the worst feels yet to come…

We are at the beginning of the end –
which will itself become a new beginning…
but we are not there yet…

For some the darkness is to grow yet deeper…

We are at the beginning of the end –
which will itself become a new beginning…
We are not there yet…
but we will not allow the darkness to prevail during this night…

As people leave they light a candle that can safely be left burning – if long-burning all the better so that the light can last until dawn.

© 2003 Wellspring

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