Holy Thursday

Reflection

The readings for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper are very interesting. The first reading reminds us of the Passover meal when the people of God were captive in Egypt. In the letter to the Corinthians, Paul described the words and actions of Jesus during the Last Supper. To this point, this makes sense. Jesus, in the celebration of the Eucharist, is the spotless lamb to be sacrificed for our sins. However, there is no mention of the Eucharist in the Gospel reading. John presents Jesus washing the feet of the disciples during the Last Supper. The readings suggest, therefore, that there is a connection between the Eucharist and service.

Jesus, who is the Eucharist, dedicated His life to the service of others. His ministry was focused to the service around Him. Particularly, He paid special attention to the marginalized of His time.

When we eat the bread of life and drink from the chalice of salvation, our purpose is to be in communion with Jesus. Our intention at communion is to become what we consume. In other words, when we come to the Eucharist, we aspire to become like Jesus. Therefore, our lives, following the example of Jesus, should be dedicated to the service of others, taking particular interest for the marginalized of our time. Let us, then, strive to become Eucharistic people. Let us dedicate our lives to the service of our brothers and sisters in need.

Prayer

Good and loving God, as I come to Your altar to be in communion with Your Son, grant me the grace to be like Him, to dedicate my time and talents to the service of others. Amen.

Fr. Lino Oropeza, S.S.E. ’11

Scripture

First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: John 13:1-15

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website