Scripture: Lectionary # 40: Holy Thursday: Lord's Supper. Exodus
12:1-8,11-14. Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18. I Cor. 11:23-26. John
13:1-5:

"Christ our Passover has been sacrificed." (I Cor.5:7). Today we are
summoned to take some time for reflecting upon the meaning of the Eucharist
in our lives. Eucharist is associated with thanksgiving and with the
beautiful Greek word "agape" which means total self-giving in love. The
Love Feast of the early Christians was called Agape. Some Christian
churches have Agape as their name. The Eucharist is the memorial of the
Lord's Supper and the reality of Jesus' presence in his total act of love
for all of us, God's children. Jesus himself calls us to remember how and
why he gives us his total surrender of love to its utmost as John 13:1
reminds us.

Our four readings (the Psalm is always a reading) are perfect for helping
us to pray, reflect, and remember who Jesus is for us in the sacrament of
the Eucharist. We are led to re-enact the Passover as he did with his
disciples. Whenever we do something in love for another person, the Jewish
interpretation of this is called a "Mitzvah" (a commandment put into action
for the good of another). Participating fully in the action of Jesus gives
us the grace and motivation to love one another as Jesus loves all of us.
He showed the depth of his love by washing the feet of his disciples--a
very lowly service, but a "mitzvah." This action was carried out by him in
love for those who had gathered for the anticipated Passover meal with
Jesus.

In First Corinthians Paul is the first to record and remember how Jesus
spoke words over the unleavened bread and the wine, blessed and gave it to
his intimate friends in the full context of the Passover celebration.Paul
has handed on to us what he received (a living tradition about the
Eucharist). "Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

We ask ourselves how can we give thanks for such an everlasting and divine
act of love on the part of the Son of God for our salvation? The Psalm 116
gives us the question and the answer: "How shall I make a return to the
Lord for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take
up and call upon the name ( that means, the Person of Jesus for us) of the
Lord."

The action prompts us to be united to one another in love. It is the bread
scattered on the hillsides of Galilee that nourish us to have the strength
and the grace to love each other. Amen.

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