Holy Thursday
 

Today we celebrate priesthood and service. We do not limit this to the ordained priesthood, although it should exemplify discipleship as to teach. We celebrate the Eucharist and its institution as well as the service which flows from those who partake in it. We are challenged through the act of the washing of the feet as to what our participation is in the Body of Christ, for priesthood is not merely a spectator sport.

Reception of the Holy Oils

We also examine the history of the sacrifice. At one time, we saw as a people the results of our sins. We observe in the Old Testament how the people would allow the blood of the animal to be sprinkled on them as a sign of their ownership of sin. And animal was slaughtered, which illustrated what sin does when we inflict it on ourselves or others. "The wages of sin is death!" The priest of the Old Testament would then burn the sacrifice or roast it for consumption. The odor of the roasting meat was a sweet offering to the Lord. But no one consumed the blood. For the Jew, life existed in the blood. To commune with a lower life form would be an abomination.

By the time of the Passover, the people were invited to take part in the sacrificial meal. The blood, rather than being splattered on them, was put over the doors and windows of where they were staying. This was their identity that they fully depended upon God's deliverance from the bondage. But as a priestly people, all were required to partake of the lamb.

Imagine the shock of the Apostles when Jesus proclaimed His sacrifice through the bread and wine! But Jesus did something that was never done. He said, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it. This is the cup of my Blood; the blood of the new and everlasting covenant..." This must have been shocking to the Apostles. Never ha blood been consumed. It wasn't until after the Resurrection that it was understood. Rather than wearing blood through a sprinkling to take ownership of sin, the Blood of Jesus is consumed, signifying the inner conversion. Since Jesus is raised from the dead, we know of this life-blood to be eternal. Jesus is very much alive. His life dwells in us.

The Gospel - Our Life Proclamation
"Let my prayer rise like incense to the Lord"

Jesus also used a word not understood in present time by many Christians. He said, "Do this in memory of me." Memory for the Jews does not mean to "look on the past." It means to "make a reality present." In the Greek texts, the word is "anemnesis." To remember is to make present. "Remember your love Lord..." Does God have mental lapses? Of course not. "Remember not my sins..." In other words, "Do not make my sins present to you when you judge." So, "Do this in memory of me" takes on a whole new meaning. This meaning can be verified in the book of Acts when Jesus comes upon the men walking to Emmaus. They were disciples of Jesus. They saw Him teach. They witnessed is crucifixion. Yet they didn't recognize Him three days later? How strange! Not really. Jesus had given a command pertaining to how he would be present to us. And when He broke the bread before them, they knew who He was. They knew His presence.  They knew His "memory."
 

We must always ask the question, "Why?" However, we ask as a child. We ask this as a child because a child is always looking for information. When adolescence sets in, the reason for asking often changes for personal use or manipulation of circumstances.  The adolescent has come to a realization of self, but often to the extent of closing out the repercussion of one's own activities on those around. When one reaches adulthood, the child is recaptured or the adolescent remains. Hopefully, information and activity is sought for truth again so that it may be applied correctly to a given situation.  And so, we ask ourselves how mature we are as Children of God? The answer can be found in the way we approach, employ, and apply the results of our worship. Let's look at the scriptural example. Here, Paul is speaking to a group of people, very immature in their faith. Their unity is broken because of individual agendas and lack of surrender to unity.
 

 [1 Cor 11:18] First of all, I hear that when you meet as a church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it;  there have to be factions among you in order that (also) those who are approved among you may become known. When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord's supper,  for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.  Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you.  For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.  Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

It is easy in our culture not to be prepared for our Eucharistic Celebration. If we are truly believing Catholics, we must identify that the Body of Christ not only dwells in the Blessed Sacrament, but also in ourselves. We must be able to "discern the body" as all inclusive of those present. And so, we take the name, "Body of Christ." How casually we might take on that name without thinking of its implications. Since the Blessed Sacrament reveals the total nature of the Forgiving Lord, we must ask ourselves; "Have I forgiven all in the same manner in which Christ forgives me?" "Would I condemn even one person here?" "Do I recognize the potential that every one here is forgiven?" "Would I give myself for any person here the way that the Body of Christ as been given to me?"
 
 
 
 

If we participate with temptations of the judgments and motives of others at the Eucharistic Celebration, we deny ourselves the right to be called the "Body of Christ" and thus separate ourselves from Him. Paul goes on to say that if we come together to proclaim and do not bring the practice of the Body outside the gathering, we betray not only ourselves, but God. We cannot expect leadership of the total community if we do not imitate Christ who stays among us, even with our faults;  He forgives us, no matter how many times we fall when we have sincere repentance; And He nourishes us to move on in our lives when we are healed through His accomplishment.

Judgement on others brings the judgement of God upon us by our calling Him to do so. After all, who is qualified to read the hearts of others other than God? Separation from each other is our cause of separation from God.  On the other hand, our forgiveness of each other and erasure of what we might think we know about each other brings forgiveness to us and worthiness to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Tolerating each other as we grow from our faults empowers the patience of God to work in our lives.

This is why we often encourage those who would even come to our parish because they were disgruntled by the activities at another to return to their own parish and to participate in healing and forgiveness. We encourage our own members to stick it out, even with the faults found in our own community. True community is not defined by a "good time" or how "I feel." It is accomplished by living the Gospel message totally, under all circumstances, and the understanding of what we receive in the Eucharist. Our gifts of the "work of our hands" and what "human hands have made," which consists of what we do within our worship or away from the Assembly, must be a flawless offering to God if we are to receive Him who is flawless. That is how we know we are truly building the Body of Christ. That is "Why" we call ourselves the Body of Christ or "Children of God."

If you are willing to receive Christ's perfect presence in the Body and Blood toward a deepening of your conversion, are you ready to wash the feet of any of His brothers and sisters? That is the requirement.
 
 
 
 

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