Fr Patrick Hederman OSB
This is the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, or, for those of us who have been living on this planet for the last three weeks, it is the First Sunday after the Olympics. Whether you have been watching or not, you cannot fail to have noticed that there was something happening in Paris which meant that every Newspaper and TV programme was choc-a-bloc with racing and jumping, complaining, rejoicing, sweating, grunting, grieving and celebrating. It cannot have escaped your notice either that headlines were snatched, not by the
umpteen medals won by China, France, or the USA, or the proportionately large number won by Ireland – no, the major spotlight was on a cameo on that first evening during the opening ceremony [only a couple of seconds, but enough to generate a bonfire of indignation] – they were making a laugh out of the Last Supper: la Cène sur la scène sur la Seine, as the French would have it.
Christianity was being mocked, Christianity is outraged. Apparently the
somewhat large drag artist at the centre of the float, wearing an outsized halo, is getting death threats and hate-mail from horrified Christians and fat-phobic psychopaths, to the extent that she is looking for police protection and is suing her attackers. What was meant to be a flash in the pan during the 6 hour ‘opening’ of the games has turned into the most prominently viewed icon of the entire Olympics – more famous even than the Leonardo Da Vinci original. And what was, and is, that original painting, so famous that it can be recognized everywhere as the outline and the basis for this recent send-up?
The Last Supper Is a mural painting by Leonardo Da Vinci dated
to between 1495–1498, about 500 years ago. It is housed in the Convent of santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan where it covers an end wall of the dining hall. It is one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated works. It represents the scene of the Last Supper of
Jesus with his twelve apostles as this is told in the Gospel of St John, the very same Gospel which was read for us here this morning. The painting depicts the moment after Jesus announces that one of his disciples will betray him.
Leonardo worked on the mural for about three years, but did not work
continuously. A dated document indicates that the painting was nearly
completed in 1497. The prior of the monastery complained to Leonardo about the delay. Leonardo wrote to the head of the community, explaining that he had been struggling to find the perfect image of betrayal, the most villainous face possible for Judas Iscariot. If he could not find a face corresponding with what he had in mind, he would use the prior’s who had complained against him.
Leonardo's masterful use of perspective draws our attention to the face of Christ at the centre of the composition, and Christ's face, through his down-turned gaze, directs our focus along the diagonal of his left arm to his hand and therefore, to the bread on the table. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” That declaration is all that matters –it is exactly what we are doing here together this morning. Anything
that changes our perspective and fixes our attention on this reality is good news, is Gospel. And never before, since this century began, has our attention been more firmly fixed on this reality.
If Donald Trump has taught us anything it is this: ‘the only bad publicity is no publicity!’ Au contraire: Here is Jesus Christ, here is this morning’s gospel, here is the bread of life: one of the most talked about events at the Summer Olympics of 2024. And we’re talking about a congregation of about 34 million viewers glued to their screens. Our response as Christians should be guided by the second reading this morning: ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice’ [Ephesians 4:30]. As the Gospel of Saint Mark puts it:
‘Whoever is not against us is with us’ [Mark 9:40]. Amen.