Holy Thursday – Evening Mass of the Lord’s
Supper
(Exodus
12:1-8.11-14; I Corinthians 15:23-26; John 13:1-15)
War brings
out the best and worst of human beings.
The present war in Ukraine reflects this principle. In the city of Bucha the Russian military
tied, tortured and shot Ukrainian civilians. On the other hand, in the city of Chortikiv parish
priests opened their rectory to a refugee family. This kind of communal love has been
multiplied thousands of times over. In
Ukraine, its neighboring countries, and now faraway places people are harboring
in their homes strangers from the beleaguered warzone. In doing so, they fulfill the mandate Jesus
gives after washing his disciples’ feet: “’…as I have done for you, you should
also do.’”
In the
Gospel of John, the foot washing replaces Jesus’ offering of bread and wine found
in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Although the
actions are very different, they have the same meaning: Jesus sacrifices himself
for the sake of others. In all the
gospels he tells participants to repeat what he has done. Both actions are symbolic of the total
sacrifice Jesus will make the following day.
On Friday he will allow himself to be crucified for the redemption of the world from sin. This sacrifice will save the people who repeat what
he has done from everlasting death. As
assuredly as the blood on the lintels saved the Israelites from death in Egypt,
they will experience eternal life.
We come
together this evening to carry out Jesus’ command. Shortly we will take the bread and wine that
has become Jesus’ body and blood. When we
leave church, we should have on our minds how we will serve one another. We might also think of ways we can wash the
feet of Ukrainian refugees.
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