Readings: Ex. 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor.11:23-26; Jn. 13:1-15
Do This in Remembrance of Me
1. This evening begins the celebration of the Sacred Triduum, three day’s events considered as one day in the life of Jesus leading to his passion, death and resurrection. At this Mass of the Lord’s supper, we commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the institution of the sacrament of Holy Orders and the commandment of brotherly love. It was at this Mass that Jesus changed bread and wine into his Body and Blood and directed his disciples to “Do this in remembrance of me.” At the last supper Jesus had a special meal with his disciples; special in the sense that it was the greatest feast of the Jewish religion – the Passover. On this night, the Jews remembered how God saved them from bondage in Egypt.
2. The first reading recounts how the feast was observed. The Passover Lamb was sacrificed, and the blood was smeared on the doorpost of the houses belonging to the Jews. When the angel of destruction saw the blood, he passed over them and slaughtered the first born in the homes of the Egyptians. In thanksgiving to God, they sang “How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me.” (Ps. 116:1). But this meal was going to be special in another way still. It was the time when Jesus had decided to give his friends – and all of us – food of a different kind - food and drink for their bodies. Yes, but food that was to become His own Body and Blood. St. Paul in the second reading makes it clear that whenever we celebrate the Eucharist, we do it in remembrance of him. We remember Jesus Christ whenever we celebrate the Eucharist, we are to remember what he has done for us. He died for us, so much did he love us. Yes, “He had always loved those who were his own in the world but now he showed how perfect his love was” St. John reminds us. How perfect, how complete, how powerful, how faithful his love was then as it is still today.
3. What does Christ want us to do? He wants us to love our brothers and sisters as he loves us. John tells us, “By this shall all know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another.” And so, he washes the feet of his apostles and commands them to wash the feet of others. In a short while, I will wash the feet of some of us here present. Some years ago, I witnessed the importance of feet washing. I went with our seminary bursar to buy food for the students. The market was dirty, muddy, and murky and our feet were dirty and completely soiled. There were some women there waiting as we exited the market to have our feet washed for some change. Back in the truck, I told Fr. Don that I considered their services more out of love than for money. They made shopping in that market worth the bargain. Their task was that of maids and slaves in the time of Jesus; to wash the feet of their masters as they returned to the house after a day’s job or outing for dinner. It was a dirty job indeed. People in those days didn’t wear shoes and socks. They wore something more like sandals and walked everywhere they went to travelling the same dusty, dirty roads as the herds of animals. Feet were therefore dirty and smelling. It was wonderful and refreshing indeed to have their feet washed at dinner. This was however not done by the owner of the house but by slaves or the servants. This was what Jesus did. “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:6-8). Christ also taught us a lesson in humility and service. “I gave you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” This concretized his earlier teaching, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave.” This is his commandment of love; love one another as I have loved you.
4. At this Mass also we call to mind the institution of the royal priesthood. The Lord gave his people the dignity of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2,9). “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The ordained ministers received their ministerial priesthood from this royal dignity bestowed upon God’s people. At the Eucharistic celebration, they act as representatives of God’s chosen race and royal priesthood” The priests then, acting in persona Christi bring the love of Christ to reality in the life of the people. Christ’s love is expressed in simple and straightforward form of service. It is the way in which we are called to express our love for him and our fellow men and women. If we are not willing to extend a helping hand, how can we say we love them? Christ’s love both for his Father and for mankind found fullest expression in the gift of himself on the cross. Through the supper commemorated this evening we have a continuing memorial to this: Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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