Holy Thursday: Our Example of Love and Service
“Do you know what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
—John 13:13-15
These words echo loudly from the heart of today’s Gospel. Around the world, the Church celebrates the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper. During that intimate moment with his dear friends, Jesus gave his disciples examples of love and service and commissioned them to do the same. Love and service are integral to today’s liturgical worship.
Most Catholics know that the Lord instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but not as many are aware that he also instituted the priesthood at that same meal. It is through the Eucharist and the priesthood that Jesus continues to love and serve his flock, as these go hand in hand, and the consequences of this dynamic relationship are pivotal for our salvation.
An oft-forgotten detail of Holy Thursday is the high priestly prayer of Jesus. The Lord prays this prayer after the Last Supper and just before his Agony in the Garden, subsequent betrayal, and arrest. That prayer is the entirety of chapter 17 of John’s Gospel. (I invite you to meditate on John 17 today.) Through those verses, we hear the vulnerable cry of the heart of Jesus to his heavenly Father. In a way, it is the Lord’s final will and testament. He prays for unity among his flock and for his Father to keep them safe. It is through the Eucharist and the priesthood that God maintains unity and safety among the sheep of his flock. The Lord not only prays for this, he initiates the means for it to come about. Love and service are indispensable in the Lord’s call for unity, security, and peace.
