As his death approached, the Lord becomes quieter and more agreeable. He lets things happen to him. After the Last Supper he is arrested, and carted off to sham trials before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod. There is a little exchange before the Sanhedrin, just a few phrases for Pilate, and silence for Herod. We know too he is dressed up, when he is mocked as king, and then undressed again, stripped for the crucifixion. He does speak a little to the weeping women of Jerusalem and promises heaven to the good thief, but compare those against the loud cry he gives just before his final prayer of self-offering: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Could it be that the Lord becomes child-like at the cross? Can we see in him therefore the very child-like quality which goes with service in his Kingdom? There are quiet children who are docile; every child has his or her moments: they’re a sign of life not of trouble. The Lord’s service of all humanity in the supreme sacrifice of the cross has more than a passing resemblance to a well-behaved child: he lets himself be taken places; he is dressed and undressed; and he cries.
This child-likeness fits with the humility he shows over the course of his earthly life. Think on how the Lord of all life, the life-giver himself, had human nature added to him. Consider what it means that the Teacher of nations was taught to feed himself. Remember that the King of nations was born into a poor family.
If we go further, we’ll see that this is how it is to be the Son of God: he is always coming forth from his Father, that is, coming to something far less than him, so that all would come to be through him. Ultimately, he forgoes his glory for the gore. We can read the life of the Son of God as a continual giving, for ever giving over what he has received from his Father. Thus, the Lord Jesus is the teacher and exemplar of his lesson about service.
Whatever we have to forgo in the service of others, it shall not be as great as what the Son of God has forgone in the service of us. Thus, we are as encouraged by him as we are taught by him to put others first. He does not prize achievement where it has left another out. He comes to heal the “jealousy and ambition” which the Letter of James speaks about. These, we’re told, lead to disharmony and wickedness. But instead, he fosters the pursuit of excellence and healthy competition in such a way that our pursuit and our competition will raise others up, just as he was the first to give his life to raise us some day from our graves.
This is something I have been learning in our community life and parish life; I still have a way to go. And I wonder whether you might notice how well things have gone when you have made people your focus and their achievement your goal. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our parish is growing again: we have waves of new faces appearing and this is another one. The growth of the parish is the only thing I want as Parish Priest: growth in numbers and holiness. The Lord tells us that if we welcome our new people, we’ll be welcoming him and his Father. If you’re new to St Dominic’s, I say: welcome! We’re delighted you’re here. We hope you find your group to stay; we hope you’ve found your home.
The Lord Jesus wants to be with us always. He is always on his way from his Father to us. We shall welcome him into our midst when we welcome his little ones. May he help us in this great work of raising each other up, which will be but a shadow of his raising us up from our death into his life. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
Fr Paul Rowse, OP
Parish Priest
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