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Andy Monro
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Quasimodogeniti Sunday
1 star|4 comments|April 15, 2007|718 reads
 
For Quasimodogeniti Sunday (isn't Latin great?):


On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (vv. 19-23 of John 20:19-31)


And do you like it when someone breathes on you? No, of course you don't. And you know why too. Their breath. It stinks. Even when they've disguised the smell with mint or some such. The fact is that fallen human breath isn't much of an improvement on dog breath. It has the tinge of corruption about it. It smells like it comes from an organism that is decomposing. And of course, it does. In all cases but one.

And so when Jesus that blessed first Easter came and stood among His disciples and breathed upon them, it was like something they'd never experienced before. His breath was like the spring breeze, only sweeter. It was the smell of life, the sweet scent of eternity was upon it, and so, of course, it was alive with the Holy Spirit, the Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ.

"Receive the Holy Spirit" our Lord said, as His breath was breathed out on them one after the other. And they inhaled the breath of a Man who would never die again, in whom there was no corruption, flesh that was truly our flesh (they could still see the marks from the nails and spear!) and yet flesh totally unlike any flesh they had encountered before. In that flesh, He appeared out of nowhere - on the inside of their locked doors. In that flesh, He would just as suddenly vanish. And yet it was real, honest-to-goodness human flesh and blood He bore - and yet the breath! So sweet and so alive! A very wise man once said: "We do not yet know what it is to be a full human being; He alone knows; He alone is."

Breath of the Living Lord, air of the resurrection, sweet breeze from the Age that is to come, the fragrance of undying love, it blows on the disciples. And not just to give them tingles and make their hair stand on end. It blows with Words, with a commission. "As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

The Risen One sends out an embassy of forgiveness. Puts it on the very lips of His disciples. A word of peace that He sends them to speak to people huddling in the darkness in fear. A word of pardon for their betrayals. A word of grace for their ingratitude. A word of life for their embrace of death. A word alive with the Holy Spirit, a word that carries with it the sweet scent of incorruption, of the life of the Age that is to come...

"Homily for Quasimodogeniti 2007" by Rev. William Weedon

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Kathy
Kathy
April 15, 2007
Good blog!  Thanks!  How does Quasimodogeniti translate literally?
Andy Monro
 Andy Monro
April 15, 2007

From the Wikipedia article:

The name Quasimodo came from the Latin text of the traditional Introit for this day, which begins "Quasi modo geniti infantes..." ("As newborn babes...", from the First Epistle of Peter (I_Peter 2:2). Literally, quasi modo means "as recently [sc. born babes]".

So,  I think that "Quasimodogeniti" is translated as "as recently born." It's a great connection to the reading from John, as well, since there Jesus is breathing the Spirit upon the disciples on Easter Sunday.

Just to add a little, this Sunday is also known as "Thomas Sunday" because in John 20:24-29 it tells about Jesus appearing to Thomas "eight days later" after vv. 19-23 (when Thomas wasn't there). Another excerpt from the sermon I linked to:

And that you might not be in doubt at all, He sends His sent ones forth with a word of forgiveness that is targeted. Not just a general proclamation that there is such a forgiveness, but a personal word spoken personally to sinners who hide in the dark. Even to Thomases who pay the penalty for missing Sunday Church and suffer the weakening of their faith. Just as the Risen One came to Him again in the assembly a week later and spoke a very personal word directly to him moving him from doubt to the bold confession: "My Lord and my God!" - even so He continues to meet His doubting disciples exactly where they are, in all their fear and uncertainties. He still breathes on them a word of forgiveness that carries the Holy Spirit who gives and strengthens faith and enables the confession: "My Lord and my God."

Carol Suh
 Carol Suh
April 15, 2007
Wow.. truly nothing like the breath of our Savior.. "fragrance of undying love".  Great sermon, thanks for sharing.
Andy Monro
 Andy Monro
April 16, 2007
Since the reading and sermon pertain to confession and absolution, I thought that I also would post a link to a discussion about the Augsburg Confession's treatment of the subject. Contributions to the discussion include those by my pastor (Rev. Cwirla) as well as by Rev. Weedon: "Confession"