Holy Thursday
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14;
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15
He loved his own in
the world and he loved them to the end.
John 13:1
We enter into the Sacred Triduum, the most holy three days
in the liturgical calendar. Our
preparation in Lent is over. The Triduum
stands as its own season. In fact, it
stands as its own liturgy. Once we have
begun this evening, we will not have a formal closing to the Mass until it is
concluded at the Easter Vigil.
It is common for us to think in terms of what we are going
to do. But these three days are not
really about us; they’re about Him. It’s
about what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. It’s all about Jesus! Only as we have that perspective can our own
devotions have merit and effect.
St. John tells us that He
loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. He says this at the outset of the events
of Holy Thursday. Our Lord has gathered
with His disciples for the Passover meal.
Here, He will institute the Holy Eucharist. Here, He will also institute the holy
priesthood. But before He does either of
these things He does something else. He
washes the feet of the disciples. We
replicate this in our liturgy, but we often miss the meaning of what is
happening.
It would be the lowest of servants who would have the job of
washing the feet of guests. When the
disciples gathered with their Lord for the Passover there was evidently no
servant to wash their feet. This would
have been the proverbial elephant in the room.
Every one of them must have noted the omission of the servant and
thought that “someone should do something about that”. But, of course, no one volunteered. Then our Lord took on the duty. He lowered Himself to be the most humble of
servants.
It was fitting that it should be so and one surmises that our
Lord knew all along that this would happen.
Note the text. This doesn’t
appear to have caught Him by surprise.
Rather, knowing full well who He is He takes on this duty. The text reads as if it naturally follows.
In performing this duty our Lord shows in a tangible way
what He is about to do- He will not only wash their feet but give His life for
their salvation.
This action also smacks of Baptism: “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Peter innately senses the incongruity of it,
but fails to grasp its meaning. Our Lord
wins him over and washes his feet.
These events set the tone for the evening and all of the
events that will follow. Our Lord will
be the servant of all to the end. He
will endure the ignominies of the cross and give His life as a ransom for our
souls.
As you watch the Lord go through the events during this
Sacred Triduum insert yourself into the story.
He is washing your feet. He is
forgiving your denial. He is dying for
your sins. He gives Himself- willingly
and joyfully- for your salvation. You are powerless to save yourself. You cannot earn His holiness. You cannot gain merit in His eyes on your
own. But He is most willing to reach out
to you and draw you to Himself. Here,
you can be saved, healed, forgiven, restored, and sanctified. Here, you are loved!
Watch as our Lord’s incomprehensible love is on display in
every moment. Then yield yourself to
this love and allow it to flow through you.
“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.”
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