Today as we enter into the heart of Holy Week in the Christian tradition – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter – a theological word that has been swirling in my soul surfaced today: anamnesis.
Anamnesis has three primary meanings: 1) the remembering of things from a supposed previous existence (like a Déjà vu), 2) a patient’s account of their medical history, and 3) in the Christian church, the recalling of significant events from the life of Jesus.
The idea behind this third meaning isn’t simply to remember, as many of us will this week, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion of Jesus, and his Resurrection – but to enter emotionally into those events in this time and place. To imagine what it might have been like to be there then and watch the events unfold as they did, and most importantly to feel what it might have been like to be there. That’s Christian anamnesis.
A verse from the Bible that has also captured my attention is from John 1:11, “He (Jesus) came to his own people, and they received him not.” What disturbs me about that verse is what if it’s not just history? What if it’s prophecy? If Jesus were alive today would I recognize him? In all honesty, I’m not so confident I would.
At any rate, in the midst of all that is expected of us today, may the feelings and emotions of this special Week capture your heart and help you connect more with others, with God and with yourself.
Blessings, Fred
Nearly 60 years ago Thomas Merton wrote,