Holy Thursday
28th March 2024 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
In those days: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbour shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute for ever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Psalm 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18 (R. see 1 Corinthians 10:16)
R/. The cup of blessing is a participation in the blood of Christ.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Brethren: I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the chalice, after supper, saying, “This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Verse Before The Gospel
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/.A new commandment I give to you, says the Lord, that you love one another: just as I have loved you.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel : John 13:1-15
Before the Feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it round his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped round him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterwards you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand 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 just as I have done to you.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Epitome of love!
Guidelines: Love is the sum and summary of everything. When love is there, anything and everything is possible. Maundy Thursday is a noble TASTE of love!
1. Maundy Thursday – a day of the Last Supper, Commemoration and celebration of 4 significant Events: Meals together, Washing of the apostles’ feet, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and the institution of the holy Priesthood.
2. All these events are not isolated entities but are linked into one single optic of Love. They are threads of a single cloth of Love, branches of a single tree, and petals of a single flower of Love
3. The Meals together is a testimony and expression of love. In a meal, there is unity and care. These are expressed in sharing. This leads to nourishment and sustenance. Thus true love unites, cares, shares, nurtures, and strengthens. How is our love in our community? How much unity? Care? Sharing? Mutual support?
4. The Washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus is a testimony and expression of love. In that gesture and act, there is humility, service, and also symbolic purification. What a sign of humility! – Jesus the Master washes his disciples’ feet, the Lord washes the servants, the Holy washes the sinful, and the Perfect washes the imperfect
5. What a spirit of service! – bending before others on knees signifies the whole life of Jesus, bent to serve others. What a symbol of purification! – Jesus washing the disciples’ feet symbolises the washing of our sins with His own blood
6. True love is humble and not arrogant; serves and not dominates or demands to be served; purifies and heals, and does not contaminate or infect. How much humility? Service? Healing and cleansing?
The institution of the Holy Eucharist – a testimony and expression of love. True love desires to be present with loved ones forever. Jesus who loves us passionately wants to continue his presence with us forever
7. In the Eucharist, we see the perpetual presence and company of the Lord. In the Eucharist, we are nourished by the eternal food. In the Eucharist, we are united as one mystical Body. If so, how much – reverence? Awareness? Spiritual Intimacy? Fraternal communion? Interior force? Growth in sanctity and fidelity?
8. The institution of the Holy Priesthood is a testimony and expression of love. True love extends its mission to the end. Jesus in the institution of holy priesthood extends his mission – of preaching God’s Word, of grace through sacraments, of doing good, through his ministers, the priests. The priesthood is an immense gift of God offered to us, very concrete and authentic, of the spiritual and fraternal.
9. It is also a generous response, docile and loyal, active and committed, from the human part, to collaborate with God’s designs and to partake in His mission. Thus in the priesthood, there is dignity, sanctity, and divinity.
10. The holiness and the divine action go beyond the imperfection of man. The greatness of Christ surpasses the weakness of the individual priest. Then, how much – respect? The vision of the sacrality of the sacrament? Collaboration and support to our priests?
