Holy Thursday -Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Lectionary: 39
Reading I
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18.
R. (cf. 1 Cor 10:16) Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
Reading II
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Verse Before the Gospel
John 13:34
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
Gospel
John 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Eucharistic Freedom
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.” Exodus 12:11
The holy Triduum begins. Today we fulfill this Old Testament passage, revealing that the Passover would become “a perpetual institution.” This passage concludes our First Reading instruction from the LORD given to Moses and Aaron on how to prepare for the Israelites’ liberation from Egypt. Plague after plague had been inflicted upon the Egyptians, and none of them resulted in the Israelites being set free. Therefore, the LORD instructed the Israelites to celebrate the first Passover by killing a year-old lamb, sprinkling its blood on their doorposts, and feasting on the flesh in preparation for the journey to the Promised Land. Today, we continue this Passover celebration as we share in the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Whose Blood has been shed, Whose flesh we consume, and Who leads us through the desert of life to the new and eternal Promised Land of Heaven.
Just as the first Passover was a prefiguration of the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God, so also the plagues that led up to the Passover present us with much meaning. At first, all the water in Egypt turned to blood. Then frogs, gnats, flies and pestilence covered the land. Boils covered the skin of humans and animals. Hail rained down, locusts covered the land, and finally darkness covered the land for three days. None of these plagues was ultimately successful in convincing Pharaoh to let God’s people go; therefore, the final plague to be inflicted was the death of the firstborn. It was the blood of the paschal lamb, sprinkled on the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses that signaled to the angels to pass over their homes.
The plagues inflicted on Pharaoh and the Egyptians were severe. But because of their obstinacy, God continued until they changed. Recall, also, that even after the Israelites were set free, Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them into the Red Sea where his army perished.
Though these prefiguring events might not be that pleasant to consider, they must be reflected upon. We must see in them God’s tireless and relentless efforts to set us free from sin. The obstinacy and oppression of Pharaoh are clear signs of the oppressive evil within our world today, and within our own souls. When we seek to embrace the freedom to which we are called, we will be met with much temptation and oppression from the evil one, as well as from our own fallen human nature. But if we trust in God, as Moses did, then we will be given all we need to begin the journey to freedom. Most specifically, the Flesh and Blood of the Son of Man is our Paschal Lamb. The Eucharist, which was instituted on Holy Thursday, protects us from the final death. Consuming the Body of Christ also strengthens us for our spiritual journeys. Without it, we have no protection from the evil one and lack the strength we need to be faithful on our journey.
Reflect, today, upon God’s incredible commitment to set you free. He came to earth, took on human form, offered His life in sacrifice, and now feeds you with His sacred flesh. Without the Eucharist as your spiritual food and His Sacred Blood covering you, you will not survive. We all need the Eucharist. We need the Bread of Heaven. We need the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Savior of the World. God went to the greatest length to save you. Accept His Gift that we especially commemorate and participate in today.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
DYING FOR YOU TO DRINK
“This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” —1 Corinthians 11:25
On Holy Thursday night, in the garden of Gethsemani, hundreds of soldiers fell to the ground when Jesus of Nazareth said, “I AM” (Jn 18:6). Yet this all-powerful, divine God-Man sweated blood on that night and asked the Father to let this cup pass Him by (Lk 22:42). He embraced the cup that would not “pass Him by,” and He left His apostles the cup of blessing (Mt 26:27).
His cup included washing the feet of His apostles. He used jars of water that were for ceremonial washing. As He changed water into wine at Cana (Jn 2:6), Jesus even gave His apostles, and us, “new wine” that far surpassed the choicest wine at Cana (Lk 22:18-20).
His cup included letting Himself be nailed to the cross for those who betrayed and denied Him. He prayed for their unity, strength and protection. He Who did not know sin, became sin for us, who were indifferent to Him (2 Cor 5:21). Mocked and scorned, Jesus died between two criminals. His own received Him not (Jn 1:11), despite centuries of prophecy given for the purpose of preparing their hearts.
“How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God” (Rm 11:33). How rich in mercy He is (Eph 2:4). He gave His Body for us in the Eucharist. Can you drink the same cup for Him Who gave His Body for you? Receive Jesus as He greatly desires to be received (Lk 22:15) — in this gift of His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist.
Prayer: Jesus, You thirst for me to drink Your cup. I shall make a return to You by committing to receive You as You desire.
Promise: “Every time, then, you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes!” —1 Cor 11:26
Praise: Praise the Eucharistic Jesus, Who humbles Himself for us!
Reflection 3
By Mons. José Ángel SAIZ Meneses, Archbishop of Seville
(Sevilla, Spain)
“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet”
Today, we remember the first Holy Thursday of history, when Jesus Christ gathers his disciples to celebrate the Passover. He inaugurates the new Passover of the new Covenant when his sacrifice is offered for our salvation.
During the Lord’s Supper, along with Eucharist, Christ institutes the ministerial priesthood, the sacrament that will allow the Eucharist to be perpetuated. The preface of the Chrism Mass reveals its meaning: “He chooses men to share his sacred ministry by the laying on of hands. He appoints them to renew in his name the sacrifice of our redemption as they set before your family his paschal meal. He calls them to lead your holy people in love, nourish them by your word, and strengthen them through the sacraments.”
And that very same Thursday, Jesus gives us his new commandment of love: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). Before Jesus, love was based upon the expected reward in return, or upon the fulfillment of an imposed norm. Now, Christian love is based upon Christ. He loves us to the point of giving his life: this must be the measure of the disciple's love and the signal, the characteristic of Christian recognition.
However, we have no capacity to love like this. It is not simply the fruit of human effort, but a gift from God. Fortunately, He is Love and —at the same time— the source of love that we receive through the Eucharistic bread.
Finally, today we contemplate the washing of the feet. With a servant's attitude, Jesus washes the Apostles' feet, and He recommends them to wash one another's feet (cf. Jn 13:14). There is something more than a lesson in humility in the Master's gesture. It is like a symbol of his Passion, an anticipation of the total humiliation He has to suffer to save all people.
Theologian Romano Guardini says: “The attitude of our littleness bowing down in front of the great is not yet an attitude of humility. It is simply, an attitude to truth. But when the great bows down before our littleness that is true humility.” This is why Jesus Christ is really humble. Before this humble Christ our usual patterns shatter. Jesus Christ turns human values over while inviting us to follow him to build a better and different world based on service.
Prayers
My Sacrificial Lamb, You came to earth to set us free from the oppression of the evil one and from the disorders of our fallen human nature. Please feed me today and always with Your Sacred Body and Precious Blood. By the strength of this Food from Heaven, continue to lead me to the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your love conquers all and never fails. Help me to love others freely, with heart-felt compassion, kindness and goodness. Where there is injury, may I sow peace rather than strife.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 88: Interior Suffering Transformed
Many people carry very heavy burdens within their souls. On the surface, they may radiate with joy and peace. But within their souls, they may also have great pain. These two experiences of our interior and exterior are not in contradiction when we follow Christ. Often times Jesus allows us to feel a certain interior suffering while, at the same time, He brings forth the good fruit of exterior peace and joy through that suffering (See Diary #378).
Is this your experience? Do you find that you can express yourself with great joy and peace in the presence of others even though your heart is filled with anguish and pain? If so, rest assured that joy and suffering are not mutually exclusive. Know that Jesus permits interior suffering at times so as to purify you and strengthen you. Continue to surrender that suffering and take joy in the opportunity you have to live a life of joy amidst such hardship.
Lord, I thank You for the interior crosses I carry. I know that You will give me the grace I need to continue down the path of acceptance and joy. May the joy of Your presence in my life always shine forth as I carry each and every cross I have been given. Jesus, I trust in You.
Prayer Meditation for Holy Thursday
My Most Precious Lord Jesus, this night You gathered with Your Apostles to share with them Your last meal. But this was no ordinary meal. This was the gift of Your most Sacred Body and Blood, soon to be broken and poured out on the Cross for the salvation of the world.
Allow me, dear Lord, to spend this night in prayer and meditation with You. After the meal, You invited Your Apostles to join You for one hour, to stay awake and keep vigil as You prepared for Your arrest. The Apostles fell asleep, leaving You in Your bitter agony alone.
I accept Your gentle invitation of love, dear Lord, to spend this night in vigil with You. May I enter Your Heart as it faced the coming persecution You were to endure for my sins. May I console Your Sacred Heart and know the love and Mercy that flowed forth.
Lord, when I face the crosses of my own life, give me Your divine courage and strength to say “Yes” to the Will of the Father. Your love for me is abundant and is perfect in every way. Help me to know that love, to embrace it and to allow it into my life.
I make my vigil with You this night, dear Lord. I love You, help me to love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
No comments:
Post a Comment