Year C / The Paschal Triduum / Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Readings: Exodus 12.1-8, 11-14 / Psalm 115.12-13,15-16bc, 17-18 (R/v cf 1 Cor 10.16) / 1 Corinthians 11.23-26 / John 13.1-15
Here we are again. At Mass. We know what Mass is. We know why it is important for our Christian faith. We celebrate it every Sunday; some of us attend Mass daily. In SJI, we celebrate Mass every Friday morning and on special days in the school year.
But this Mass invites us deeper into prayer and worship, praise and reverence. We call it the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Yes, we are celebrating the Eucharist like we do at every Mass. But, here and now, we, with the universal Church, are especially celebrating it as God’s gift to us as Jesus himself tells us to do this through the life-giving story of his passion, death and resurrection. This is the story of God’s saving love for us and it is our focus today, on Good Friday and at Easter.
During this Mass, we’ll also hear about Jesus washing his apostles feet and his command that we go and do as he does. Jesus’ selfless act is the lesson we need to know how to give ourselves to and for each other. When we do, we fulfil our Christian life.
Our readings enrich what we celebrate. In the Exodus story of the Passover tradition, we hear God’s call to the Israelites to remember and celebrate his saving love. At Mass we do the same. In St Paul's account of the Last Supper story, we hear Jesus say, “This is my body; this is my blood; do this as a memorial of me.” At Mass, the priest repeats Jesus’ words and we remember them with thanksgiving.
In our gospel reading, St John doesn't tell us that Jesus gave us his body and blood at the last supper and thereafter washed his disciples' feet. He doesn't even mention the gift of the Eucharist at all! This is not an error or omission.
Rather, for St John, the story of foot washing is the story of the Eucharist; they are identical. The story of foot washing explains the Eucharist. It tells us what it means. Let me explain.
By washing his disciples' feet, Jesus is saying in deed, “In serving you, I give you myself, my body and blood.” And when he says, "I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you,” he is commanding us to go and do likewise, and as we do, to know that we’ll do it in memory of him.
Doesn’t it make sense then why we need to act out the gospel story of foot washing at this Mass? It makes Jesus’ action real, alive and present to us. When this happens we will be able to see and experience Jesus’ presence, even more, his good labour in our lives.
This is why by being broken and given for us in the Eucharist, Jesus is giving us an example. He is also giving us a commandment for how we are to be broken and given for each other – by washing each other's feet.
The honest truth is that none of us wants to wash someone else’s feet. They smell. They are not always attractive. Most don’t want anyone else to touch or caress their feet. It is not easy to wash feet. Neither is it easy to love. We struggle to let others love us. We struggle to love others, especially parts that are not attractive or loveable, not to mention the smelliest. We don’t love so well when another hurts or disappoints us. Oftentimes, we love with expectations and conditions that we regret when they are unmet.
Unlike us, Jesus loves unconditionally. He loves us, not because we deserve it. He loves us because we need loving. He tells us we can love the same way. He demonstrates all this by washing his disciples’ feet. So, go and do likewise we must.
Therefore, it is good and right this evening that we celebrate Jesus giving us himself. He does this in and through his self-sacrificing example of how to love – in the Eucharist and through foot washing.
As Christians, we need to understand what we are celebrating. Only then will we appreciate Jesus’ mandate for us to be Christian. The word ‘maundy’ that describes today is ‘mandatum’ in Latin, meaning mandate or command. Jesus’ command is “As I have done for you, you should also do.” When we do, we will rightly claim God’s identity for us – Christian. Yes, Christian first and always even before we are called by each of our baptismal names, be it Kelvin or Janet, Dominic or Nicole, or even Adrian.
So tonight let us listen carefully to what Jesus says. Even more, let us see and experience what Jesus does. When we do, we will be able to live our Christian identity fully and happily.
So in word and deed, "This much," Jesus says. "Love each other like I love you -- this completely, this freely, and yes, love those most unattractive parts of each other, where love is needed most." Shall we?
Preached at St Joseph's Institution
Artwork: hope community church (internet)
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