EVENING MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
17 APRIL 2025
The
first reading from the Book of Exodus helps us understand the background for
Saint Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians.
Moses instructs his people to gather as families to slaughter an unblemished
lamb. They are to take the blood and
smear it on the lintels of their homes, so that the angel of death can pass
over their homes. As they eat the flesh
of the lamb, they are to prepare themselves to pass over from slavery to
freedom in their journey to the Promised Land.
Jesus
follows these instructions and gathers his disciples to celebrate the Passover
as a family. But he goes beyond the original
Passover Meal. He will be he unblemished
lamb to be sacrificed on Calvary. In
taking the unleavened bread, he identifies it as his own body, given up for
them. In taking the cup, he reveals the
new covenant established in his own blood poured out for them. He establishes the Eucharist as a perpetual
remembrance of his real presence in the new covenant. He speaks to us in insisting that every time
we celebrate this Eucharist as Saint Paul commanded the Corinthians, he is
really and truly present.
Last week,
I read a report from a psychologist who insisted that half of Americans are
afflicted with loneliness. She provided
an interesting solution to this problem.
She urged lonely people to make a list of three things for which they
are grateful each day. She argued that
keeping these lists of gratitude will combat loneliness. That is why we gather to celebrate the
Eucharist every Sunday, or every day if we choose. We do not gather as isolated individuals
making lists, we gather as a community of disciples to give thanks to the
Father not only for all that we have received.
With the Greek word for Eucharist meaning thanksgiving, we especially
give thanks to the Father for the sacrifice of Jesus made present as we
remember it at Mass.
In the
Gospel of Saint John, there is no account of the Lord instituting the Eucharist
at the Last Supper, as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul do. He has already given his theology of the Real
Presence in chapter six. Instead, Saint
John tells us that Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. In the ancient world, the best way for a host
to welcome a visitor would be to have the visitor’s feet washed. Those dirty, ugly, and smelly feet are the
results of many miles walked through dusty roads. The host himself would not lower himself to do
this humble task. Instead, a servant or a
slave or one of the children would do it.
Jesus reverses
the order of a master dominating and the servant obeying. Saint Augustine identified the dysfunction of
human society when he names the lust to dominate. In becoming the servant, he reverses the
dysfunction of human society and teaches us how to be humble servants. He anticipates his ultimate act of giving his
life totally out of love for us on the cross.
In doing so, he teaches us how to love as he has loved us. In the Eucharist, he nourishes us with his
own Body and Blood so that we can be humble servants and foot washers
today. He nourishes parents to wash the
feet of their children. He feeds bosses
and managers so they can take care of those who work under them. He feeds every single one of us to reverse
the lust of dominance to make a difference in our world today. He sends us out of this and every Mass to
keep our eyes open and to humble ourselves to serve those people.
Normally,
we end our homilies at this point. But
not only Holy Thursday. Tonight, I will
wash the feet of twelve parishioners known for their humble service to this
parish and to those in need. In this
Sacred Paschal Triduum, we are not just acting out events that happened over
2,000 years ago. We are participating in
the saving actions of Jesus Christ, who continues to free us from whatever
holds us back. We are a Eucharistic
people, becoming what we consume. As the
Body of Christ, we give ourselves in humble service.
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