Behold the Lamb Bone
During Holy Week leading up to Easter, they have a Sedar celebration at St. Columba's. They have a ceremonial meal that the whole community (turns out Father Phil was not utterly alone, just often at Vespers at 5). We ate bitter herbs, baked eggs and went through the liturgy of a traditional Jewish Sedar.
The Lamb of God is a potent symbol of God's love, yet when Father Phil lifted up a hock of meat from the communal pot and said "Behold the lamb bone!" there was some laughter and lots of grinning.
Perhaps the two really meet there. I thought I heard God laughing, yet also solemn.
Later we went upstairs into the alter area and there was the traditional "stripping of the alter" to give the feel of what it was like to have Jesus suddenly taken away and absent. It was solemn in contrast with the food and wine downstairs. I think about it often as I enter vast churches and it is just as empty.
As father Phil passed by me at the end, when the alter was naked and alone, he looked down at me.
We had now known each other for a few years.
He smiled at me in a way that said volumes between us.
My eyes said back "yes, I know brother. I know. This we share."
He nodded and moved on. Soul to soul. Simple.
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