Here is Duccio's painting of The Last Supper. It is one of twenty- one images found on the back of the Maesta Altarpiece. You can click on the painting if you'd like to join in today's rosary decade.
Our Father...
We see the apostle John leaning against Jesus during the supper. The Gospels tell us that he leaned against Jesus' chest. He is listening to Jesus' heart. Can I imagine taking the apostle's place and listening for that heartbeat of God, which beats for me and each human person?
Hail Mary...
There is wine at the Passover meal. There is wine at every Mass. It is the Jewish symbol of God's joyful and abundant presence. In the life of the Church, do we live as if we believe that? Or are we just law abiding and dutiful observers?
Hail Mary...
The apostles are not observing social distancing as we are in our own day. May we live lives centered on Christ, which doesn't observe distancing of the heart, but lives in close solidarity with the world, often stressed and suffering.
Hail Mary...
The apostles are eating the flat, yeastless Passover Bread. In the Exodus story, the bread had to be made quickly, there was no time to wait for yeast to rise. I don't have the past; it is gone forever. Nor do I have the future. All I have is time - right now time. May I not waste it.
Hail Mary...
Here, we see that curtain rolled up over the horizontal pole running the width of the upper room. The curtain has been drawn up - revealing the love of God in Christ's self-gift which begins in the new depth of Holy Thursday night. That self-gift is made an experience for us in the bread and the wine.
Hail Mary...
Judas is in the front row, on the long bench, second from the left. He has received his First Communion and will leave the room before the meal is ended. The others will disperse in fear, leaving only John and Jesus' Mother to stay with Jesus until the end. May my heart never be ruled by anxieties.
Hail Mary...
St. Luke tells us that the apostles argued about who is the greatest at this Last Supper. How delusional we are. We often use the words great and greatest in speaking about ourselves nationally: greatest military, greatest medicine, greatest freedoms, greatest achievements, greatest possibilities for advancement. Before God, that means nothing. God only cares that we be great in compassion, great in truth, great in justice, great in mercy - indeed - great in humility.
Hail Mary...
Duccio doesn't spend a lot of time depicting the table settings and food here. It's a pretty sparse table at that. Maybe he doesn't want to distract us from the inner reality, which is the superabundant suffering-love of Jesus.
Hail Mary...
Duccio also leaves out half the haloes. All those golden circles would be a bit much. But what about my halo and the halo around my home. "Oh, I'm no saint" lots of people say. We should be embarrassed to say that. Truth be told, not a few Christians think sanctity means, too good to be true. Maybe our ideas about holiness are immature or impoverished.
Hail Mary...
This supper was celebrated under a bright Passover Moon. The Exodus took place under the full moon so the Hebrews could see where they were going as they fled Egypt. Do I know where I'm going? Maybe we can't know, because each day brings its own challenges and invitations. But I can tell if I am going more deeply into the heart of Christ - which is go more deeply into awareness, mercy, gratitude and compassion.
Hail Mary...
Glory be to the Father...
