MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER: CHRIST’S MATCHING GIFT

At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we celebrate the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Priesthood, and Christ’s sacrificial love. The Holy Eucharist defines the Catholic Church, since without it, there is no church. It is the source and summit of our faith. In the same way, without the priesthood, there is no Eucharist. The priesthood brings God’s love to the people in a tangible way within the Eucharistic community.

THE MODEL OF LOVE

Jesus offers himself completely. He demonstrates the true meaning of love by willingly giving himself up and loving us “to the end" (Jn. 13:1). The mystery of love shows the master becoming servant and taking up our sufferings. He dies on the cross.

At the Last Supper, Jesus bends so low to wash the feet of the disciples. This is striking:

“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.” 

Peter is shocked at this scandalous humility. How come the Lord of the universe puts on an apron, kneels, and washes their feet? To this, Peter shows disapproval, “You will never wash my feet.” Historically, washing of feet in the time of Christ was a duty relegated to slaves as the lowest duty. Slaves washed the feet of those entering the household. Hence, Paul captures this slave image in Christ, “…did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

Washing the feet of his disciples reveals Jesus' identity. He shows how he would pour himself out in death. Jesus makes the disciples, his newly ordained priests, understand what their hearts should be like: "I have given you a model to follow …as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn.13:15). Jesus makes loving easy. “As I have done for you” becomes the model for Christian love.

COMMUNION IN THE BLESSED EUCHARIST

The Passover meal captures a gathering around the Lord. In the Old Testament, God commanded Moses to strengthen the bonds of unity between Him and the Hebrew people. He also strengthened family and community bonds: "If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it" (Ex.12:4). This foreshadowed the mystery of the Eucharist, the Lamb of God being offered as a sacrifice.

At the Lord’s Supper, the disciples gather around Christ. They commune with Christ as he gives the mandate, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Cor.11:24-26). He institutes the mystery of his body and blood, the holy Eucharist.

Christ desires to commune with us. When we eat His body and drink His blood, we immerse ourselves in the love and ministry of Jesus. The Eucharist produces in us a compelling desire to serve. St. Pio once said, “It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!”

SACRED PRIESTHOOD AND SERVICE

When Jesus says at the Last Supper, "Do this in remembrance of me," He institutes both priestly ministry and eucharistic assembly. At every Mass, it is Christ who presides over the Eucharistic assembly. The priest only represents and acts in the Person of Christ. The priest does what Christ did, using the exact words of Christ, "Take this and eat." "Take this and drink." These words of consecration change the substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ (transubstantiation). The holy Mass is a celebration of the Lord's Passion because, at the Lord’s Supper, Christ offers himself as a sacrifice.

Priests are men who are called and consecrated to God. They offer themselves in service to the people. Christ uses the hands of priests to bless. He uses the hands of priests to forgive sins. He uses the hands of priests to anoint. He uses the hands of priests to sanctify his community. The hands of the priests consecrate the body and blood of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist. We should all thank God for the priesthood.

In the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, priests do what Jesus did at the Last Supper. They wash the feet of the members of the parish community. Let's reflect on the question of Jesus for his disciples, “Do you realize what I have done for you?” Do we realize what Jesus has done for us through the priesthood? Do we realize the meaning of Christ’s gift in the Blessed Eucharist? Do we realize that through the sacred priesthood, Jesus absolves and cleanses our sins, our dirt, our entire mess?

Love is the vessel through which we share in the priesthood of Christ. Being there for family, community, and for one another is important. The mandate from this celebration is to wash each other’s feet through acts of love. And for each person’s feet we wash, Jesus matches with a blessing. This is the meaning of Christ’s sacrificial love on the Cross: “Do this in remembrance of me." 

Readings: 1st- Ex. 12:1-8, 11-14; 2nd- 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Gospel- Jn. 13:1-15