Cherish the Eucharist

~~~ Holy Thursday ~~~

~~~ Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ 

~~~ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ~~~ John 13:1-15 ~~~

“What I am doing, you do not understand now,

but you will understand later.”

Today we celebrate the institution 

of the Most Holy Eucharist.

How could we possibly return

 to the Lord all that he has done for us?

The apostles did not anticipate or understand

 Jesus washing their feet before dinner.

The customary Jewish washing ritual 

prescribed hand washing.

The washing was to remove impurities 

before temple offerings.

It was not about physical cleanliness

 or killing germs as it is today.

The hand washing has continued in the Mass

 as a sign of the holiness of the consecration

 of the bread and wine. 

Jesus took this ritual and turned it upside down.

He washes their feet that would carry his message out to the world.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 

you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Jesus was teaching the apostles 

how they were to further spread the good news.

They were to walk all across the land consecrating bread and wine.

They were commissioned at this final meal

 to carry on without the physical person of Jesus with them.

He purified their feet...the apostles were to leave their homeland.

They had the task from Jesus to carry with them his power.

They now are to take ordinary bread and wine

and turn it into the his Body and Blood.

I have given you a model to follow, 

so that as I have done for you, you should also do.

All that Jesus did we are to do for others.

I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:

love one another as I have loved you.

At the end of Mass today 

the Eucharist is carried out of the main church.

In solemn procession it is relocated and 

exposed for Adoration throughout

the night...praying with Jesus in Gethsemane.

We may not fully understand what Jesus did for us that night,

but we can fully appreciate the marvelous gift

of the Most Holy Eucharist.

Jesus washed the feet of the apostles...

consecrated the bread and wine...

changing it into his own body and blood...

commissioned the apostles to take this

power of consecration out to the people.

Our blessing-cup is a communion

 with the Blood of Christ.

The greatest gift of the Eucharist

is Blessing us today in a special manner.

~~~Peace~~~