Upper Room

 

Easter in the Upper Room

With the Faith and Light community I was in Lourdes, Easter 2001.
The early morning sun is pushing away dark clouds. The foreground is still covered in the red shade of Good Friday. The hills are now turning green and there, slowly the basilica is surrounded with soft light. Only a few people are walking around. A quiet morning, still and promising.
When the towers are fully visible the sounds of the bells fill the air and soon more people appear, all walking towards the great doors of the basilica.

Our group of pilgrims is asked to go the crypt of the big church for the 8.30 Mass. The leader went ahead to prepare the altar. But suddenly another priest, a German, arrived and took over. Our leader is told to go to another church, St Joseph’s. There will be a Mass at 9.00 for English pilgrims. The stream of our pilgrims has to be turned back. We are told to gather at St Joseph’s for the 10.00 Mass. Ten minutes before ten o’clock our leader meets a Greek priest with silver vestments and large book and is told that at ten o’clock the Easter Mass will be in Greek.

There we were, on Easter morning, with no church to go to. “Where is Jesus?” One of the handicapped pilgrims, a woman, said that Jesus was alive and was waiting for us in the upper room. “Which upper room?” “We have an upper room in our hotel” one said. Very confused, we left the Sanctuary, the sacred pilgrims’ place, and after quite a walk we gathered in the lounge of our hotel, which had a split- level floor. We huddled together, all seventy of us, anxious what was going to happen. The handicapped woman cried out, “ Don’t you know that Jesus is alive and he is here!” Slowly we believed and started to sing Alleluia.

That’s how we started the Easter Mass. We heard the story again and it was like he promised. What a celebration! We broke the Bread again and recognised Jesus in one another. “Peace be with you,” we said to each other.

On that Easter morning, walking back to the church we told people what happened on the road. Many believed. Our pilgrimage was complete. “But, was it?” “No, we have to journey on and pass on the Easter story”.

So, this was my story of the Upper Room in Lourdes 2001, still fresh in my memory.

We are pilgrims of 2009, who will see, while walking along other people’s roads, the darkness of life in the pain, despair, poverty and death. The emptiness of the modern world that does not see behind the gates of mental hospitals or behind the doors of handicapped people. There are still many closed or half-open doors. But Jesus had a place in his heart for the divorced Samaritan, the good thief and for those who crucified him too.

Then on Easter morning he greeted Mary Magdalene. He walked along with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He had breakfast with Peter on the lakeside of Galilee. He promised all of us his lifegiving Spirit.
He walks with every pilgrim who is prepared to move with him, step for step, showing to each pilgrim, “Look, there are my friends, the little ones and disadvantaged. Teach them a love song and learn from them the gift of laughter. Show them the blossoming Cross, the light of new life.”

Where is your Upper Room? Where do you wait for the Risen Lord?

Jesus knows that it is us he needs to live as pilgrims,
knowing that he is alive.

“Peace to all.”

Happy Easter 2009
John Heijnen

He could have

He could have

Why was Jesus born in a stable? Was there no maternity? He or his mother could have chosen a more suitable place.
Why did he stay behind in the Temple? He could have chosen to stay there some more some years?
Why did he stay in the desert for so long? He could have gone straight to the temple and claim his title.
Instead Jesus said to the devil,” Don’t try to test the Lord your God.”

Instead of going to his stepfather’s workshop Jesus went to the river Jordan. John his cousin recognised him and knew that Jesus was the one who was going to baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. That was quite different than with water. Jesus could have taken over from John. But he asked to be baptised by him. Of course John objected, but when Jesus said,” For now this is should be done, because we must do all that God wants us to do’’ John agreed.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, Jesus could have stayed in Nazareth, but he moved to Capernaum by the lake and started preaching, “Turn back to God. The Kingdom of heaven will soon be here”.

Walking along the lake Jesus saw two brothers fishing. He could have said” Do you want a hand?” but He said,” Come with me. Instead of fishing fish, I’ll teach you how to bring in people.” Right then the two brothers dropped their net and went with him.

One morning Jesus got up and went to a quiet place to pray. Simon and the others woke up and noticed that Jesus was not with them, so they started to look for him. When they found him they said,” Every one is looking for you”. Jesus could have said. “ Give me five minutes” But what he really said, was, “Let us go to the nearby towns.” That was his mission.

So Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as usual he went to the meeting place. There he stood up and read from the scroll of Isaiah. The people started to talk about Jesus and were amazed at the wonderful things he said. But some said,” Isn’t he the son of Joseph?’ Jesus could have said, “ I am Joseph’s son”. But he replied,” No prophets are liked by the people of their own hometown”. Hearing this the people got angry, dragged him to the edge of the cliff and were trying to throw him down. But Jesus slipped away. His time had not come yet

One evening Jesus and his disciples left the crowd and went in to the boat in order to go to the other side of the lake. Suddenly a storm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat and it was about to sink. Jesus could have said,” Wind, stop”. But instead he, with his head on a pillow, went asleep. The disciples woke him up and said, ”We are about to drown”. Jesus got up and calmed the waves. He was testing the faith of his friends.

Much later Jesus and his disciples went to the village near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they walking along, he asked them, “ What do people say about me?” Some said you are John the Baptist, or Elijah or one of the prophets.” Jesus could have said, “ I am not one of these. I am the promised Messiah, who will bring freedom to the chosen people.” But he said,” The nation’s leaders will make the Son of Man suffer terribly, will be killed, but three days later he will rise to life.” Peter did not understand one bit of it. So Jesus said,” If any of you want to be my followers must take up your cross and follow me.” To give Peter some encouragement He took him with two others up a mountain and showed himself in Glory.

Later in the Temple Jesus began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying and turned over the tables of moneychangers. The chief priests were looking for a way to kill him.
It became very dangerous for Jesus and his disciples, so in the evening they went outside the city, to Lazarus, Mary and Martha in Bethany, in their safe house. But next day he was back again in the city teaching and healing. He was aware that the chief priest and teachers of the Law were planning how they could sneak around and have him arrested and put to death. He could have gone up north where it was less dangerous, but the Feast of the Thin Bread was near and the Passover lambs were being killed, a feast Jesus wanted to celebrate with his friends. During the Passover meal he wanted to talk to his friends about how he loved them. Also to tell them that he would leave them for a little while and to give them a new commandment, “ You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, every one will know that you are my disciples”.

At the end of his Mission Jesus came to one of the last temptations.
Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. When he got there, he told them, “Pray that you will not be tested”. He knew he himself was going to be tested.
He walked on a little way before he kneeled down and prayed, “Father, if you will, please don’t me suffer by having me to drink from this cup.” He was in great pain so that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood. He could have now walked away from the Judas and the Temple police. After all he had already so much. But he did not give in, and said to His Father,” Do what you want, and not what I want”. For the love for his Father and for us he continued his mission to the bitter end, giving his life on the cross.
His faith in his Father was stronger than ever. He was putting himself in his Father’s hand.

We pray that we, in the breaking of the bread, in the breaking of our lives, will recognise Jesus, our risen Lord.


Lenten Reflection 2009-03-11
God Bless
Fr John Heijnen