Holy Thursday: The Institution of Grace

 

The night before the suffering began, Jesus gathered His twelve chosen Apostles in the Upper Room for the sacred Passover meal. This was not merely a farewell dinner; it was the final, defining act of His ministry, the moment the ancient ritual of deliverance was superseded and transformed into the Sacrament of the New Covenant.

The Gift of His Presence: The Holy Eucharist

As they ate the traditional Passover elements, Jesus took the bread and the wine and elevated them beyond their physical form. This was the moment of complete, self-giving love.

He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them with the revolutionary declaration: "This is my body, which is given for you." Then, He took the cup of wine, saying: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

With those words, the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) was instituted. The sacrificial Lamb of God offered Himself to His followers, giving them His very life, hidden under the appearances of bread and wine. This guaranteed that His saving sacrifice would be present with the Church across all time.

The Mandate to Continue: The Priesthood

Crucially, Jesus followed this gift with a command: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

This single instruction—to consecrate the elements, to make His sacrifice present again—was the moment He instituted the Apostolic Priesthood. He empowered the Apostles, and all those who would follow them in sacred orders, to act in His person (in persona Christi), ensuring the lifeblood of the Church would be distributed and His sacrifice would be eternally present on the altars of the world.

The Lesson of Humility: The Washing of the Feet

Immediately before or after the meal, Jesus rose, took a towel, and performed the task of a slave by washing the feet of His disciples.

This profound act of the Washing of the Feet was a final, undeniable lesson in the nature of true authority in His Kingdom. He told them, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." He made it clear that the power of the priesthood and the commission to distribute the Eucharist must be rooted in selfless, radical humility and service to others.

Holy Thursday, therefore, gave the Church its sacramental life (The Eucharist) and its sacred ministry (The Priesthood), all founded upon the depth of His self-giving love.

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