Silence of the Lamb (2011-04-22, Good Friday)

This is my homily for Good Friday, 22 April 2011. I am a Catholic chaplain at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) campus and for the FDU Newman Catholic Association. We celebrate Catholic Mass - during Fall and Spring semester - every Sunday Mass (7:30 p.m.) at the Interfaith Chapel, 842 River Road, Teaneck, NJ.

We also held this service, Liturgy of the Word, Good Friday at 12:10 p.m. in the chapel.

[__01__] There is good reason to rely upon an attorney, an accountant, a very capable assistant –

• Tell us what to do or
• Tell us what to say in pressure
• Screen our calls
• coach us
• Anticipate questions

This is not only for grown ups in the quote unquote “real world” (wherever you may find this)

[__02__] Don’t we experience this in school also? We have to prepare ourselves in school for the questions which are going to come. We go to school hopeful (imperfect though we are) and ready for the questions to be asked.

Maybe there is some junior or senior out there or some seventh grader or eighth grader who can tell us what to expect or give us their notes from last year.
Some teachers are kind enough to give us a copy of last year’s test – or old exams – so that we are ready. In this way, we are articulate and victorious in the answers we write.

[__03__] Isaiah the prophet – and Moses the prophet – both recognize that their ultimate adviser , their help, their advocate, is the Lord –

Isaiah writes: “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue” (Isaiah 50:4).

Moses, on the other hand, does not actually start off his ministry with a well-trained tongue but rather with great fear and uncertainty about public speaking.

But, the Lord promises help.

But, gradually do the preparations start for Moses who makes the necessary arguments – on God’s behalf, with God’s help - to lead to the Exodus from Egypt and to the first Passover… the Passover the Lord which enables the Jewish people to depart for the Promised Land.

[__04__] Now, in the Passion, we are at the second Passover, the new Passover, and a new trial … not Moses before Pharoah ..

But rather Jesus before Pilate. Also, a good place for a representative.

After all, no one wants to be without representation. No one wants to be defenseless under pressure, defenseless against an accusation.

[__05__] And, in Jesus’s greatest trial, the Passion of our Lord, we might expect his most eloquent arguments – his wittiest remarks.

But these are saved for another time – for other times when another person is accused …
• “let who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:1-11 ??)
• Or parable of the unforgiving servant is offered as an example to Peter and to all of us – of who we say the faults in others but not in ourselves. (Peter also asks here – if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive, as many as seven times?...no, 70 times 7 times)

[__06__] Now, Jesus himself is on trial – where is his well-trained tongue now?
Where is his advocate, his attorney ..where are his friends? His entourage?

Throughout this test of his Passion, the Lord demonstrates not arguments, not defense, but silence.

He is the silent lamb led to the slaughter who opens not his mouth.

[__07__] And, in the Passion, Jesus is the rabbi, the speaker , who leads his disciples away from the crowd, and to a secluded place in the Garden of Gethsemane for silence… This is not surprising to us because we are familiar with this Gospel reading.

But, wasn’t there a natural and human alternative to this silence and seclusion? Why not a defense strategy?

Why not talk ..

At his greatest trial, he gives us an example of what to do when we are under trial,
or in sorrow. Often we want to do something, we want activity, we want distraction.
Jesus only asks one thing – stay awake.

He is asking them to stay awake.

And, we are also asked to stay awake and alert during a crisis.

Or, to stay awake and alert to avoid a crisis.

Jesus tells all of us that he needs us .. not only to stay awake for exams, not only to stay awake at our desks ..but also to stay awake to his presence in the world.
To stay awake even when others may sin against us, to stay awake that we may grow closer to Christ during our own passion and sorrows. Often, we are tempted to do the opposite.. to sleep via indifference or rejection.

[Jesus is the one who will help us with our tests.]

[__08__] In the Passion, in Jerusalem, in the Temple, Jesus remains silent.
In the courtroom before Pilate, Jesus is silent for 2 important reasons

FIRST - we often say that silence is an admission of guilt. The one who is silent is the one who is guilty.
If one is innocent, one would defend himself. This is what people think, right?
If I were innocent, I would defend myself.
Jesus remains silent, telling us that he accepts the guilt of our sins upon himself.
He is taking our sins upon himself, quietly, nailing them to the cross, and pleading guilty on our behalf. In silence Jesus accepts our guilt.

[__09__] SECONDLY, silence is also a means of concentration and attentiveness.

The Lord remains quiet even now, concentrating on you and me, urging us to stay awake with him, to examine our lives and to see that he loves us…not only by telling us .. but also by showing us by his actions which speak louder than words.

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