Holy Thursday

Paul’s letter to the people of Corinth is the earliest account ever written of the Last Supper.  It pre-dates even the gospels.  It is so close to the original event that its words are part of our Eucharistic prayer, spoken at every Mass, at every altar around the world.  The words that created the Eucharist are the heart of our Catholic belief.  And through it all, one word leaps out at us.  Remembrance.  Do this in remembrance of me.  Jesus is saying: This is how I want to be remembered.

In the gospel, John doesn’t even mention the meal, or the institution of the Eucharist.  But he finds something else for us to remember: Christ, the servant.  “You ought to wash one another’s feet,” Jesus says.  “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”  In other words: remember what I have done.  And do this, too, in remembrance of me.  We are people of remembrance.

So were the Jews.  It’s there in the first reading, from Exodus, describing the institution of the Passover meal – the very meal that Christ was celebrating when he gave us the Eucharist.  And God tells the people: “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution.”  And God is calling on them, in a very particular way: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

For five thousand years humankind has re-enacted somehow the great Passover feast of Jesus and all those who came before him.  The memorial feast has continued.  For two thousand years we have gathered around this table and repeated Paul’s beautiful words – the words the Corinthians heard and took to heart.  For uncounted generations we have knelt and watched as the body and blood of Christ have been raised to God – and watched as we, too, have been raised with them, as offerings to God.

And down through history, we have knelt and washed one another’s feet with a profound charity and sense of purpose that made Christian love the most powerful force on the planet.  Even unbelievers were moved to say, “See how these Christians love one another.”  See what we have done in remembrance of him.

I would suggest that the next few days will be worth a thousand emotions.  From the wonder and gratitude of tonight, to the sorrow of Good Friday, and the loneliness of Saturday.  But then there is Sunday.

This night, our journey toward Calvary begins.  But so does our journey toward Easter.  A journey of struggle.  And of faith.  It is a journey that a billion others around the world are also undertaking with us on this sacred night.  We do this in remembrance of him.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor