March 28: Kneeling and Kneeling
♫ Music:
Day 44 - Thursday, March 28
MAUNDY THURSDAY
Title: THE LORD’S SUPPER
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (NKJV)
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Poetry & Poet:
“Communion in the Asylum”
by Andrew Hudgins
We kneel. Some of us kneel better than others
and do not have to clutch the rail or sway
against those next to us. We hold up hands
to take the body in, and some of our hands
-- a few -- are firmer than the others. They
don't tremble, don't have to be held in the priest's
encircling hands and guided to our lips.
And some of us can hold the wafer, all of it,
inside our mouths. And when the careful priest
tips wine across our lips, many of us, for reverence,
don't moan or lurch or sing songs to ourselves.
But we all await the grace that's promised us.
KNEELING AND KNEELING
In Lent we embrace altered practices of charity, discipline, and prayer in the hope of losing our balance. In the voluntary loss of this balance things accustomed and familiar become, again, strange, mysterious, wonderful.
I worry about familiarity per the old cliché—it can breed contempt. I think contempt, among other things, underlies Paul’s concern about the manner in which we can approach the Table of the Lord. It is easy to eat and drink—these are actions we perform every day. But the Eucharist is not merely eating and drinking. I cannot join my brothers and sisters in Christ in the new covenant while lust or anger simmer in my heart. They may be hidden from those around me, but they are not hidden from the Holy Spirit. I disregard their significance—as the Corinthians did—to my peril.
Communion is something we approach often and which we celebrate with beautiful prayers, songs, and art. But I sometimes partake on autopilot—singing songs, mumbling through prayers I know too well—as though to know the songs absolved the state of my heart. How can I become a creature of habit in the face of holiness? Author Annie Dillard writes, “I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully addressed to God without getting killed. In the high churches they saunter through the liturgy like Mohawks along a strand of scaffolding who have long since forgotten their danger. If God were to blast such a service to bits, the congregation would be, I believe, genuinely shocked. But in the low churches you expect it any minute. This is the beginning of wisdom.”
Today’s artwork can help rekindle this wisdom to attend the beauty and mystery in the deep things of God. Dagnan-Bouveret’s painting, Last Supper, presents a familiar scene of Christ and his disciples at their Passover celebration. But closer inspection undermines this familiarity. The dramatic light seems to emanate from Christ, but it might more precisely be located right in front of him, born from some invisible source. For bright as He is, Jesus is also edged with shadow along his sleeves while his left-hand casts shadow on the bread He’s about to break. The disciples, too, have been variously cast in darkness and light, and their facial expressions portray bewilderment, uncertainty, and even aversion. Some refuse to look, some scratch their heads. Only one—the second to his left (our right) looks upon him with calm contentment. Neither the light nor the people behave as we might think they ought.
Hudgins’ poem also offers an uncommon portrait of the sacrament as the speaker comes alongside other residents of an asylum where some “kneel better than others.” The unusual setting is further intensified by the speaker’s casual indulgence in the kinds of shallow distractions that can snag my imagination. The poem admits for me what I find embarrassing to admit for myself––when I should be focused on Christ, my eyes are open to those around me, evaluating and comparing. Hands that tremor need help holding the bread. Mouths struggle to close. These physical ailments—here are so obvious—belie the deeper, spiritual ones. As the poem progresses, I’m made all too aware of the difference between kneeling and kneeling. To bend the knee is not to incline the heart. It is only at the end that the speaker seems to have a moment of clarity, redirecting the spirit’s inattentive gaze on the gift of God that unites us, in all our weaknesses, before and in his mercy.
In Lent we are invited to find new (and old) ways of kneeling. We resubmit our bodies, spirits, and attention to the journey and suffering of Christ in the hope that we might, at last, become more like Him—sharing in his death and resurrection.
Prayer
“Almighty and ever-living God, I approach the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I come sick to the doctor of life, unclean to the fountain of mercy, blind to the radiance of eternal light, and poor and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth. Lord, in your great generosity, heal my sickness, wash away my defilement, enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty, and clothe my nakedness.”
––-St. Thomas Aquinas
Dr. Phillip Aijian
Adjunct Professor
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Art:
The Last Supper
Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret
1896
Oil on canvas
30 x 49.5 cm.
Musée d'Orsay
Paris, France
The Last Supper, probably artist Dagnan-Bouveret’s most spectacular religious painting, was exhibited at the Salon de Champ-de-Mars in 1896. The size of this work at nearly 10 x 18 feet was intended to create a sense of immediacy. As Jesus blesses the bread and wine, his eyes look directly outward to confront as well as invite the viewer into the sacred space of the Upper Room and into relationship with him. As with his Madonna paintings, Dagnan-Bouveret based the composition on Renaissance compositions, but the mystical lighting emanating from Christ spotlights very contemporary-looking French faces of the apostles.
About the Artist:
Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (1852-1929) was one of the leading French artists of the naturalist school. He studied at the renowned École des Beaux-Arts and was recognized as a leading modern artist known for his depictions of domestic scenes and rural life. After 1893, Dagnan-Bouveret abandoned naturalism and devoted his efforts to mystical-religious compositions. He was one of the first artists to use the then new medium of photography to bring greater realism to his paintings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_Dagnan-Bouveret
https://rehs.com/eng/default-19th20th-century-artist-bio-page/?fl_builder&artist_no=395&sold=1
About the Music #1:
“Ubi Caritas” from the album LUX
“Ubi Caritas" is a hymn of the Western Church, long used as one of the antiphons for the washing of feet on Maundy Thursday. Its text is attributed to Paulinus of Aquileia in 796 CE. The traditional melody probably also stems from the late 8th century. It is now and then sung at Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and has for a long time been part of the Holy Thursday evening liturgy. The current Roman Catholic Missal reassigned it from the foot-washing mandatum to the offertory procession at the Holy Thursday evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. It also is found in current Anglican and Lutheran hymnals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubi_caritas
Lyrics #1: Latin:
Ubi caritas et amor,
Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
Exultemus.
Timeanus, et amemus
Deum vivum,
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
Ubi caritas et amor.
Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Deus ibi est.
Ubi caritas et amor.
Amen.
Ubi caritas et amor.
Amen.
English Translation
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ’s love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.
Amen.
About the Composer #1:
Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) is a Norwegian composer and pianist living in New York. He is one of the most frequently performed composers in the choral world. An accomplished pianist, he is known for his trademark collaborations of improvisations played over his own published choral pieces. Although Norwegian by birth, it is Ola’s adopted country of America that has influenced the composer’s distinctive sound the most, evolving a style that is both contemporary and familiar. His music, with its thick harmonies and rich textures, is often described as cinematic and evocative. Gjeilo has had a special collaborative relationship with the vocal ensemble VOCES8, and during the 2015/16 season was their composer-in-residence.
http://olagjeilo.com/about/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ola_Gjeilo
About the Performers #1 & #2:
Formed in 2005, VOCES8, an a cappella octet from the United Kingdom, has a diverse repertoire ranging from early English and European Renaissance choral works to their own original arrangements. The ensemble is dedicated to supporting promising young singers and awards eight annual choral scholarships through the VOCES8 Scholars Initiative, at which amateur singers of all ages are invited to work and perform with the ensemble. VOCES8 tours extensively throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, and their artistic collaborations have included the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, period ensemble Les Inventions, violinist Hugo Ticciati, and cellist Matthew Sharp.
http://www.voces8.com/
About the Music #2:
“O Sacrum Convivium”
"O Sacrum Convivium" is a Latin prose text honoring the Blessed Sacrament. It is included as an antiphon to the Magnificat in the vespers of the liturgical office on the feast of Corpus Christi. The text of the office is attributed with some probability to Saint Thomas Aquinas. Its sentiments express the profound affinity of the Eucharistic celebration, described as a banquet, to the Paschal mystery: "O sacred banquet at which Christ is consumed, the memory of his Passion is recalled, our souls are filled with grace, and the pledge of future glory is given to us."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_sacrum_convivium
Lyrics #2:
Latin:
O sacrum convivium,
in quo Christus sumitur;
recolitur memoria passionis ejus;
mens impletur gratia;
et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.
English Translation
O sacred banquet,
wherein Christ is received;
the memorial of his passion is renewed;
the soul is filled with grace;
and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
About the Composer #2:
Kevin Allen is a highly regarded composer of opera, chamber, and orchestral music. He has also developed a unique reputation as a composer of church music for the Roman Rite. Allen’s works, both sacred and secular, have been performed in churches and concert halls throughout the United States and Europe. He is the founding director of the Collins Consort, the American Composer’s Project, and the Schola Immaculata. Allen is also the choirmaster of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Chicago, Illinois.
https://www.ccwatershed.org/allen/
About the Poetry and Poet:
Andrew Hudgins (b. 1951) is an American poet raised in Alabama. He earned a B.A. at Huntingdon College, an M.A. at the University of Alabama, and an M.F.A. at the University of Iowa. He is the author of numerous collections of poetry and essays, many of which have received high critical praise, such as The Never-Ending: New Poems (1991), which was a finalist for the National Book Awards; After the Lost War: A Narrative (1988), which received the Poets' Prize; and Saints and Strangers (1985), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He is currently the humanities distinguished professor of English at Ohio State University. He previously taught at Baylor University and the University of Cincinnati.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Hudgins
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/andrew-hudgins
About the Devotion Writer:
Dr. Phillip Aijian
Adjunct Professor
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
Phillip Aijian holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance drama and theology from UC Irvine, as well as an M.A. in poetry from the University of Missouri. He teaches literature and religious studies and has published in journals like ZYZZYVA, Heron Tree, Poor Yorick, and Zocalo Public Square. He lives in California with his wife and children.
https://www.phillipaijian.com/
https://californiospress.com/2020/02/02/write-to-me-an-interview-with-poet-phillip-aijian/