Holy Thursday is called “Maundy Thursday” from the Latin word “Mandatum” which means “command”. In Filipino, we have what we call "Huling Habilin”. If someone is perceived to be nearing death, that is when the person gives his last will and testament, other important advice, and final reminders to loved ones who will be left behind. For our reflection today, I would like to say that Jesus did the same thing at the Last Supper. He knows that it is the night before He dies. Our Gospel at Evening mass starts with this, “Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.” John 13:1.
The next five (5) chapters of the Gospel of John from 13 to 17 are Jesus’ words to the apostles at the Last Supper before His death. Those are very beautiful parts of the Gospel that someone who reads it in prayer could experience indescribable mixed feelings of love for Christ our Savior, joy because of the Eucharist and words of the Lord, but at the same time, sorrow, and grief because of His imminent death. Throughout those passages, the undeniable recurring theme is always love. It is, after all, because of love that He offers Himself and dies. In the Last Supper, Jesus commands us to do the same - to love. The Lord said, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. ” John 13:34. This is His "mandatum" or command.
All of us belonged to death and sin when sin first entered mankind. Jesus, the Sinless and Spotless Lamb is our only way to Heaven, our only Redeemer. During the Last Supper, He instituted two most important things in our faith: the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist. One cannot simply exist without the other. Jesus made His disciples the first priests and the validity and succession of the priesthood of the Catholic Church come from them. Without priests, there will be no sacraments. At the same time, without the Holy Eucharist, there would be no need for priests. These two are the greatest gifts that God could ever give us while on Earth – more than our material life for they give us eternal life. In the Holy Eucharist, we receive Christ Himself through the hands of the priest. In His passion and death, He offered Himself as a victim and spared nothing to save us. In return, He only asks us to love God above all, then others as self – the greatest commandment.
Yet in the world today, what is the order of our “loving”? In our modern society, where materialism and luxury are applauded and seem to be the standard, do we still have Christ especially in the Eucharist as our “Love” above all things? Is giving to the needy still part of our lives because we love them as ourselves? If not, then we are in serious need of renewal not only of our faith but of faith that comes alive into action. Here we see Christ offering His very self to open the gates of heaven for us even though He never sinned. He still took all the punishment that was meant for us even unto death. How do we respond to that love of Christ? We too must make an offering, and of what? Of our whole selves too because we love God back. Even so, we cannot do anything without the power and grace of God. We must cling to prayer, frequent the sacraments, and pray as well for our priests daily. They need our prayers today just as much as we need theirs. Let us not forget the priests - our spiritual fathers, who by the hope of eternal life also gave up their lives for the Church following Christ. We pray that all of us may offer ourselves to God through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ as a response to His love.
Amen. +
Marga de Jesus | OLA Social Communications
