The washing of feet a gesture of Love and humble heart.

Thursday of the Lord's Supper.1st April 2021.

Holy Thursday is both the day of the institution of the HolyEucharist and Holy orders - Ministerial Priesthood. The two sacraments are inseparable and they instill in us, love and service with humility. Today, the Lord chose to have the Passover meal with His disciples just as how all the Jewish people, the descendants of the Israelites celebrated the Passover ever since the first Passover in Egypt. The Passover was truly the most important event in the entire year, remembering the very moment that God Himself saved His people from chains of tyranny, slavery, and death. During the last supper, the Lord made a new Passover that was no longer about the old moment when He rescued the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt, but a new Passover which is the salvation of all mankind from their enslavement to sin. God would rescue all of His people from the tyranny of sin and lead them to freedom. Therefore, today the Church celebrates God’s wonderful gift to humanity, the Holy Eucharist. It is the spiritual food that nourishes us on our journey. According to Pope Francis, “The Eucharist is not just a weekly way of celebrating our faith, but radically affects our relationship with others.” Celebration of Eucharist brings us closer to God. The Eucharist gives us the grace to feel forgiven and makes us ready to forgive others. The Eucharist affects the life of every Catholic Christian. So, the church receives her mission and identity from the Eucharist. The institution of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday equally marks the institution of the Ministerial priesthood. So, the priesthood is also God’s gift to the church. This means that it is God who freely chooses those to serve him and his people in his vineyard. The mystical nature of the priesthood derives from the life of Christ our high priest. This mystical nature of the priesthood reaches its fullness at the Lord’s Supper and at every Mass. That is the consecration of bread and wine, which is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ. The priest shares in Christ’spriesthood. As we celebrate this day, we must emulate the Humility of Jesus. In today’s Gospel, he chose to wash the feet of his disciples. He also feeds them, not only with physical food but, with spiritual food. This humble gesture teaches us how to serve others with humility.

The joy of working in the vineyard of the Lord comes mostly from serving others, rather than from being served. Jesus wanted to teach his disciples that to be the greatest of all you must become a servant. A servant must have a humble heart.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall that very first night when the Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist on the Last Supper. We are called to reflect on the great and wonderful love that God has for each and every one of us, that He wants to rescue us all from the depth of our troubles and misery, offering Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice, to be crushed and destroyed for our sake, bruised, wounded and crucified for us, to die in our place so that we may be delivered from eternal death and into the everlasting life.

I wish you all blessed and fruitful EasterTriduum