Thursday; April 17, 2014
Every Group Needs Its Ritual—Or the Message is Lost and the Group Is Lost
Both texts today are about ritual. In Exodus, God defines the Passover meal, the central ritual of the Jewish faith. In John, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples and to make the point very clear he tells the disciples to do the same thing.
Rohr talks about the ritual of sacrifice and has this observation, "The sacrificial instinct is the deep recognition that something always has to die for something bigger to be born. We started with human sacrifice (Abraham and Isaac), we moved here to animal, and we gradually get closer to what really has to be sacrificed— our own beloved ego— as protected and beloved as a little household lamb! We will all find endless disguises and excuses to avoid letting go of what really needs to be die for our own spiritual growth. And it is not other humans (firstborn sons of Egyptians), animals (lambs or goats), or even 'meat on Friday' that God wants or needs. It is always our beloved passing self that has to be let go of.”
Today is a good day to ponder what God is calling me to sacrifice in order to be in closer relationship with him.
Quote from Rohr, Richard (2010-12-27). Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent (p. 134). St. Anthony Messenger Press. Kindle Edition.
