Tonight, we are called to a great feast and given our walking papers. Before we can begin any undertaking, we need to be nourished. The Israelites ate before leaving Egypt, as recounted in our reading from Exodus, and Jesus, before he began his Passion, ate a meal with his disciples. How grateful I am that we still have this wonderful feast to nourish us for our daily life—the Eucharist. How awesome (I use this word in its fullest sense) that Jesus is present to us in the Eucharist, that the bread and wine are no longer what we see, but are really and truly Jesus’ body and blood. We become the body of Jesus as we gather, and this banquet provides what we need to carry out the mandate given to us in John’s Gospel: “Love one another as I have loved you.” We are to “wash each other’s feet” every day. What Jesus has done for us we are to do for others. Watch as the celebrant washes people’s feet. It is humbling for both the celebrant and the one having their feet washed. The lesson is, for me anyway, I’ve been showered with gifts from God. I must be humble in accepting those gifts and then use them in humble service of God’s people, expecting nothing in return. Tonight is a beautiful start to the Triduum. Join me in quiet reflection in the presence of Jesus. Reflect on how blessed we are and ask how we can share those blessings. Blessed Holy Thursday.
