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Homily for Holy Thursday/ Maundy Thursday

READ: (Exo 12: 1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Jn 13: 1-15)

REFLECT: Eucharist, Priesthood and Service is an act of pure God's LOVE

Dear friends, today we are entering into Easter Paschal Tridum. The Easter Tridum begins with Maundy Thursday.  The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word ‘mandatum’ or ‘commandment,’ reflecting Jesus' words “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” So we can call it a commandment Thursday or a new commandment day of God. The most significant and greatest of all commandments that Jesus gives us is “Love”.  So in what ways did Jesus love us is what we see in the liturgy of the word in the upper room on the last supper day.

On this day Jesus establishes and lays before us three important acts of love to remind us to love God and others in our lives. They are; the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of Priesthood and washing the feet of his disciples. So the entire liturgy of the word and its proceedings manifest how Jesus loved us before he could suffer, die and rise again.  Therefore, on the basis of today’s liturgy I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1. Eucharist – an act of love

On 9th and 10th of April 2022 there was an Exhibition about Eucharistic miracles held at St. Francis De Sales Church, Shaanwadi, Pune, There were many people participated and there were many posters and banners concerning the Eucharistic miracles to show that down through the ages, at different times and levels God has been disclosing himself to us in the Eucharist. It was indeed a wonderful time to see and relive the experiences in many places Jesus appeared and worked miracles in the Eucharist manifesting his presence. The reasons behind all these miraclulous appearances of Jesus in the Eucharist prove that God still loves the world.

Yes, the great manifestation of God’s love is what we see in the first reading from the book of Exodus about the preparation for the Passover feast that this day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. In the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to First Corinthians we hear, “Do this in remembrance of me.” These words indicate to us to remember Jesus continuously and constantly in life. It is a parting gift of Jesus to our memories and so a memorial celebration always.

In the Holy Eucharist we see the total self-giving of Jesus reminding us how God loved us in and through Jesus Christ. In Eucharist, the love of God is expressed and experienced by each one of us. Today the sacrament of Eucharist which is instituted by Jesus calls us to express the love that we have experienced or experience from Jesus. The expression of love in the Eucharist was not for a temporary purpose rather for a life-long remembrance of presence of God among us. In a broken and divided world, disturbed and disoriented world what we need is the presence of God for unity and peace. God reminds of his presence in the Eucharist that we participate daily or gives us an opportunity to experience the presence of Jesus and share it with others by an act of love and kindness.

Pope Francis, very emphatically says, “Eucharist is not an act of remembrance rather it is a fact, the Lord’s Passover is made present once again for us. In the Eucharist, the death and resurrection of Jesus are set before us.” Moreover Pope Francis says, “God gave the world the gift of Eucharist because he knows easily people can forget him in their weakness. God knows how difficult it is, he knows how week is our memory…It is easy to forget what we hear (his words), what we read (the scriptures), what we see (the signs) but we can’t forget something we have actually tasted. So Jesus gave us food. He left us bread in which he is truly present, alive and true, with all the flavour of his love.”

Yes, the Holy Eucharist contains the flavour of love. If depends on each one’s disposition and discernment to obtain this flavour of love as fervour for life. The real flavour of love ‘Eucharist’ would favour us if we truly believe the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and its impact in our lives. The Eucharist the flavour of love will surely make us move closer to God, if we experience and encounter the Lord in the breaking of the Bread and the drinking of wine. Let us realise and recognize Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist, give importance and due respect to the Lord present in us too and accept him as Lord and saviour of life.

2. Priesthood – an act of love

We know that Holy order is one of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. On Maundy Thursday we priests celebrate our feast day as Jesus instituted priesthood. Priesthood a loving sacrament and holy vocation just as matrimony is. No priests are called to serve forcefully or in compulsion rather each one is given the freedom of Choice. The freedom of choice calls for a commitment to the call of priestly life. In the institution of Priesthood, there is a representation of Christ. Each priest becomes a representative after the heart of Christ to be Christ-like in all we do and say. The words at the last supper uttered by Jesus are uttered by priests today; the act done by Jesus is done by priests today.  Today how do we look at priests and priesthood? It is not a mere profession like business based institutions rather profession of faith in love to God and service to humanity. Today, what was done by Jesus at the last supper, the breaking of the bread and sharing of wine is done by priests, representing Christ.

Today our attitude towards priests and priesthood needs deeper understanding. I am not justifying that we priests can live our lives however we want but an acknowledgement that we too are not perfect but God calls us to be perfect in and through the service that we do. What will make us perfect is our intimacy with God, your prayers, your support and of courses our efforts in living out the commitment to priesthood. So priesthood by nature calls for a priestly living so sacred and humane. We priests ask you to pray for this commitment to be firm and strong, doing justice to our way of life as priests.

Pope Francis addressed the International Theological Symposium on the Priesthood. He focused on “four pillars of our priestly life,” as “four forms of closeness”: closeness to God, closeness to the bishop, closeness to other priests, and closeness to the People of God. I am sure, if we priests are close to God and have that closeness to God a primary act, there will be a strong bond created and be deeply rooted in the vocation we have received, then all will follow and flow automatically. So we pray that all of us become close to God and be responsible in our service and vocation to cater to the needs of the people entrusted to our care with God’s blessings and direction.  

3. Serve with love and humility – an act of love

Pope Francis says, “Jesus' rule and the rule of the Gospel” is to serve others and not “to dominate, not to do evil, not to humiliate others.” Yes, service to others is an important act of love that we manifest in our day-to-day living. The expression of love is seen in what we do or say to others, very specially those in need, the sick and suffering and those who can’t afford to do anything in return to us personally.

Someone has very beautifully said, why is foot washing so significant? “Feet are the lowliest and dirtiest parts of a human person. In washing each others’ feet, we not only embrace the deepest parts of their human dignity, but we reveal that we fully embrace every part of their being. If we can wash the feet of those who share nothing in common with us, we embrace the deepest parts of both their hearts and ours.” Yes Jesus did this to embrace humanity with love and humility in his service. The foot washing event reveals an act of fraternal charity by Jesus to his disciples and making them do the same as representatives of Christ.

In the gospel reading of the day, Jesus asks a question to his chosen apostles, “Do you know what I have done to you?” Yes, it’s not easy to serve others; it is not easy to bend down and works like a servant but Jesus serves and bends down to wash the feet of his disciples. Jesus further says, I have set you an example that you must do what I have done to you. This is an indication and a reminder for the disciples to follow the example of Jesus to serve with love in humility. Jesus himself said, “I have not come to be served but to serve people” (Matt 20:28). But what sort of service? It is the service of love and humility, service in kindness and compassion, reaching out to the other, manifesting Christ-like qualities and bringing the human family closer to the heart of God.

Yes, washing of the feet is an act of love; Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, even to the extent of lowering himself, without even being mindful of what others would say. Usually a leader does not bend down to his subjects but Jesus a leader par excellence bends down to wash the feet of his disciples to show his affinity, unity and dignity of each one. A leader  does not inspires by being but by doing, a leader does not inspire others by having but by sharing, a leader does not inspire others by knowing but by discerning what is good for his people, a leader does not inspire others just by growing but by giving them ample chances to grow, a leader does not inspire others by authority but by authenticity, a leader does not inspire others by slavery rather a service with love and humility.

Yes Jesus is one such leader for all times who served people with love and humility, a servant leader. In order to serve with love and humility like Jesus, we need to allow like peter to be washed, be clean and taken over completely by Jesus. Then there will be a way out for our service in authenticity, love and humility. Let us not dilute this sacred service with business or treat it as a profession. Let this service be an expression of love and care for one another as Jesus did to us, without expecting anything in return.

RESPOND:

Do we experience Jesus in the Eucharist and understand its importance and impact in our lives?

Do we respect priests and priesthood as priests and lay people? Do our lives as priests bring people closer to God?

Do we serve others with an act of humility and love expecting nothing in return?

Let us pray and love the Eucharist the flavor of God’s love, let’s pray for priests and experience the sacredness of priesthood in the commitment to God and let’s serve others with an act of love and humility to obtain the favor of God. Amen.

God bless us all… Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968