Holy Thursday - Priesthood, Eucharist and the Commandment of a New Love
Priesthood, Eucharist and the commandment of a new love. It is today that we gather in our churches to thanks for these three blessings, gifts and treasures. I am asking you to think for a moment how closely these three realities are related to our lives. What would life be like - even for us, the people of the 21st century - without priestly ministry? Baptism, confirmation, penance, celebration of the Eucharist, marriage, last moment of passing to God through death ... But most of all, the Eucharist. Through the priests celebrating the Eucharist, Christ brings Himself closer and gives us himself. He gives his life, his holiness, his love.
Today, when we read these wonderful texts about the necessity to bend down to human feet and to serve other people, we know that this is what is born of this love, and it is only possible when we are overwhelmed by His love. Let us thank for that today. Together with Christ, let us thank the Father for giving us the priesthood, the Eucharist and the law of a new love. And we want to thank Christ Himself, for simply being there for us - for our salvation. That our life through Him, in Him and with Him - makes sense.
We could very easily count the number of times we experience Holy Thursday in our lives, the recollection of the hour of Jesus, as the gospel reminds us today. His hours, but also ours. We often use the term "hour" in everyday language. We also think of the "last hour" from time to time. And here is the memory of the hour of Jesus and our hour, which in his death and resurrection is the last hour.
It sounds quite complicated, but it is verysimple. Over two thousand years ago, on Holy Thursday, Jesus Christ - God-Man, at this very hour instituted a hierarchical priesthood for the service of all redeemed in the blood of Christ. He instituted the Holy Eucharist - the food of the eschatological times, of the last times, the food of the last hour, of the hour when God is with men - and promulgated a custom appropriate for such a kingdom: the law of new love. " A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (Jn 13:34). And the measure of this love with which he has loved us is the crucified love - the love on Good Friday. This Good Friday love is hidden in the priesthood, in the Eucharist and in the law of the new love.
And when we come to church after two thousand years - whether on Holy Thursday once a year or every Sunday, when we are close to our home or on vacation, or anywhere and every ordinary day - when the Holy Mass is celebrated, then the mystery of death and resurrection is fulfilled. Wherever people gather for Holy Mass, for the celebration of the Eucharist, they learn this new commandment. And when we celebrate once a year on Holy Thursday what is repeated every Sunday and every day to recall the meaning of these simple, ordinary rituals and gestures - then we will also remember the most important content of what was given to us on Holy Thursday. Here Christ reminds us of the necessity to practice the priesthood in our lives, what the Eucharist means in which we have grace to participate - and what the new commandment of love means.
What have I just said could be put in the form of a question: do you know that your life is to be a priestly life? Not only us priests; yours too. It is our duty to serve you - that you may bring Christ's priestly life to its fullness in your life. This is the only difference between us and you. In the name of Christ, we gather you together and in the name of Christ we celebrate the Eucharist in which we participate together. And the Eucharist is the divine love of Jesus Christ, God-man, who gives us the dynamism of a new love.
Do you know, then, that you are a priestly people committed to priestly life? Do you know that such a life has its very foundations in Jesus Christ? The ideal priest is - like Jesus Christ - priest and victim. Christ connected Holy Thursday with Good Friday for this reason. We experience it - whether we like it or not - in our lives. Whoever more and more consciously takes his life with Christ into his hands and offers it with Christ to God the Father experiences the transformation of suffering and pain into joy and peace, into happiness. This happens in the Eucharist, where we bring the toil of our lives, the fruit of the work of our hands - and we put it in the paschal work Jesus Christ. And at every Mass there is a transition in us from sin to holiness. Because by giving Christ and God the fruit of our work - everything that happens outside the church is a daily struggle for righteousness, for nobility, for truth and goodness, for beauty - we are rewarded with a gift from above.
And when we hear the words: "Body of Christ - Amen" during Holy Communion, remember that this is a response to our gift. We will take this gift out of the church again, to give it away consciously or unconsciously. Because love is inherently radiant, giving away, ministering, as the Gospel reminded us today on the example of our Lord washing the feet of his Apostles.
And no more words are needed this DAY. Only one question: are we aware that the priesthood, the Eucharist and love form a symbiosis that cannot be separated and that our human love receive its fullness from the Divine LOVE? For this today, let us thank God through Jesus Christ. So let the Eucharist be the most beautiful and most important THANKSGIVING to God for everything for which we should thank Him.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus wrote: "The priest the defender of the truth, who is to take his stand with Angels, and give glory with archangels, makes sacrifices on the altar, participates in the priesthood of Christ, renews creatures, restores God's image and brings them to the higher world." Several centuries later, Saint. Jan Maria Vianney, a priest from Ars, added: "If one understood correctly who the priest on earth is, one could die, not out of fear, but out of love. The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus."
Thank you, Lord for my priesthood. Thank You, that you give me a desire for holiness, love, hope that you allow me to celebrate Your sacraments and that I may belong only to You. Lord, and although I do not fully understand you, on this special evening I want to tell you MY YES again!
Until Tomorrow
fr. george