Our Maundy Thursday reflection

Today is Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday and one of the two major dates of the Holy Week. There are three things that we Catholics should never forget on what our Lord teaches us on Holy Thursday. In John 13: 1-17 we are taught humility with our Lord washing the feet of his disciples.

“13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7  Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8  “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. 9  “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  11  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.

“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

I know that most Catholics who read this scripture do not need anymore explanation on this particular teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ as he explains this in a very simple way. So now we move to Matt.28: 18-20 when our Lord instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders, thus ordaining his apostles into the priesthood.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Ask any priest and he would concur with me that the Sacrament of Holy Orders was instituted during the Last Supper.

Finally, the greatest teaching that we get from the Last Supper was the institution of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Holy Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate this which we read in Luke 22:19, at the Last Supper, he says to them: “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the context of the Passover meal, Jesus said a blessing as he took the unleavened bread and the cup of wine. “This is my body that is for you, and this cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Bidding his Apostles and through them us to eat and drink, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the Eucharist, our Lord gives us himself so that we might be transformed and we have become one with our Lord Jesus Christ or Christ in us.

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