Holy Thursday, which is also known as Maundy Thursday, is when Lententide (Quadragesima) ends at sundown and then Paschal Triduum begins. The beginning of Paschal Triduum is punctuated with Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Missa Cena Domini) in the early evening of Holy Thursday.
In commemorating the Lord’s Supper in the evening of Holy
Thursday, there are two main themes: the Institution of Sacramento Sanctae Eucharistiae (Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist)
and Mandatum Novum de Caritas (New
Commandment of Love). The institution of the Holy Eucharist is reflected in the
Second Reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), recalling that Jesus, the incarnated
Christ, offered his own body to eat and his blood to drink in his memory until
his returns at the eschaton. In fact, this corresponds to the descriptions of
the Lord’s Supper in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew26:17-30//Mark14:12-26//Luke 22:7-39).
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus
ordered his disciples to prepare for Passover Seder in the Cenacle (Matthew
26:17-19). Actually, it was the day of preparation, which is the daytime of the
14th day of the month of Nisan, and the 15th day of Nisan
comes upon the sunset of this day for Passover to mark the first day of the
seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:1-20). It means that a year-old
male unblemished lamb was sacrificed in the late afternoon toward the sunset
time for Passover Seder in the evening (Exodus 12:5-6). Josephus explains the time
frame to slaughter the lamb was between 3 pm and 5 pm, so that its blood is
smeared on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses, where Passover Seder,
for which its meat is roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (matzah,
matzo) is eaten, is held, in the evening after sunset (Exodus 12:7-8). This
indicates that the Lord’s Supper on the night before his death was Passover
Seder, held in the Cenacle.
It was during this supper when Jesus offered his own
body, in the form of the blessed and broken bread, and blood, in the form of
the wine in the chalice, for his disciples (Matthew 26:26-28), instituting the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This is also reflected in Jesus’ Bread of Life
discourse (John 6:22-71) and in the Fifth Luminous Mystery of the Holy Rosary.
Namely, at this Passover Supper, Jesus offered himself as the greatest gift of
all. And on the following day, he offered himself up on the Cross, as Agnus
Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi (the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world) (John 1:29), as the ultimate Korban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice)
(John 19:31).
In fact, offering one’s own life for someone is the
greatest form of love (John 15:13). And it was first demonstrated by Jesus himself
for offering his body, blood, soul, and his divinity as his love (i.e.1770,
Diary of St. Faustina).
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus demonstrated the greatest
love of all, by offering his total self, his body, blood, soul, and divinity,
to us as the ultimate Passover Sacrifice to deliver us from the bonds of sin to
the freedom (Romans 6:1-7:25), which is a life in Christ and in the Holy Spirit
(Romans 8:8-11).
The Gospel Reading of Holy Thursday (John 13:1-15), however, does not address “supper” at all. Rather, this is about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Unlike the synoptic Gospels, Johannine Gospel focus on Jesus’ service of food washing to his disciples (John 13:1-20) and his discourse (John 13:31-16:33) and prayer (John 17:1-26) at the Lord’s Supper.
What is the significance of Jesus washing the disciples’
feet?
This question can be answered through these words of
Jesus, his mandatum novum(new commandment):
I give you a new commandment: love one
another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how
all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another
(John 13:34-35).
The above words of Jesus tell that his service to the
disciples by washing their feet demonstrated his love for them. This love is a
precursor to his greatest love for them, offering his total self: his body,
blood, soul, and divinity, as instituted in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
at the Lord’s Supper and as he sacrificed himself on the Cross.
Now Jesus calls us to replicate his love for us to one
another so that we can live trulyas hombres para los demas (men for others)
for the great glory of God (ad majorem Dei gloriam), as Fr. Pedro Arrupe
said.
The Holy Thursday is a day of Ubi Caritas et Amor Deus
ibi est (Where there is charity and love, there is God). And God, who is
love (1 John 4:8, 16), in the incarnated Christ, Jesus, calls us to replicate love
to one another as he has. This also means to offer up one’s life out of caritas
et amor for others. As we receive the Holy Eucharist, the very body, blood,
soul, and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can love one another as he
has.
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