Homily: Holy Thursday 2014 - Three gifts of the Last Supper

Of all the feasts of the Church year, only once does the Roman Missal actually instruct the priest about the content of the Homily. Tonight, at this Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the priest is instructed to give a homily shedding light on three things: the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the ordained priesthood, and the Lord’s command to love one another.

I’m reminded of a story.  A few years ago, a priest from China, named Fr. Rafael, who had been studying at the Catholic University of America.  After learning English, he had been sent by his Bishop from China to come and study theology here in the US.  And after six years he had now earned his doctorate in theology. 

At the end of the academic year, he had been invited by the University’s board of directors, comprised of several bishops and priests to share his story. 

Fr. Rafael spoke about how grateful he was to the University, how much he had learned, and how eager he was to get back to China.  All the while, he heard news of how the persecution of the Church in China was increasing. 

Yet, despite the persecution, the arrests, and the discouragement by the government, the Church is actually growing in China. 

One of the Bishops of the board asked Fr. Rafael what he was going to do upon returning to his homeland.  He said, “Well, I could be arrested as soon as I get off the plane, but I think I will be alright.”  So the Bishop probing a little more asked him, “Well, what about your bishop, will he have an assignment for you?”  And Fr. Rafael said, “I don’t know, my Bishop disappeared three months ago.  We think he’s been arrested, but nobody really knows where he is, so I don’t really know what my assignment will be.” 

The bishop then asked, “Well, Fr. Rafael where will you live?”  And he answered: “I don’t know, I guess I could live with my mom back home in the village, although I’m a little worried that by living with her I could get her in trouble, so I don’t know exactly where I’ll live.”

The Bishop then asked him, “Well what will you do?” Fr. Rafael looked at the Bishop and said, “well, that’s easy!  I will celebrate Mass every day for the people, and I will give them the Holy Eucharist.”  He said, “I don’t know where, maybe the parish Church will be open, you never know.  If not there, I will say Mass in the fields; if not there, I will say mass in a barn; and if not there, I will say Mass in someone’s home.  All I know is that people want the Eucharist, the bread of life; so I will celebrate Mass for the people and I will give them the Eucharist.”

Here is this young priest going home with his doctorate in theology to a hostile land, who doesn’t know where he is going to live, who doesn’t know where his Bishop is, who himself risks imprisonment and trouble for his family, and who believes the most powerful and most important thing he can do is to celebrate the Eucharist and bring the Body and Blood of Christ to the people of God.

Fr. Rafael reminds me of so many of the martyrs, who gave their life in witness to the Christian Faith.  They believe the Christian Faith is worth dying for.  This belief continues to inspire men and women to give their lives in service to the Church.

Here in Cleveland, enrollment in the seminary is at a 20 year high.  Young men from our diocese are hearing and answering that call to give their life in ordained service. We should be inspired by their conviction and renew our commitment to discerning how we are called by God to serve the Gospel.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us three gifts.  He gave the Church the first ordained priests, priests whose primary tasks are to teach, govern, and sanctify: to teach the Gospel, to administrate and order the life of the Church, and to celebrate the Sacraments.  No priests, no Eucharist. 

Secondly at the Last Supper, Jesus gave us the Eucharist.  As we teach the second graders preparing for their First Holy Communion, the Eucharist is not just special bread, it’s not just a nice symbol or a reminder of what Jesus did at the last supper.  When we celebrate the Eucharist here at St. Angela’s or any altar around the world, bread and wine are truly changed into the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. 

This is why we genuflect to the tabernacle when we enter a Catholic Church.  We bend the knee, if we are physically able, to our King, who is truly, really present; who desired to be with his Church in Sacramental form until his return in glory.  

Just as Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it, when we receive the Eucharist our prayer is that we, like Him, might be blessed, broken and given in love for others.

St. Augustine, writing about the Eucharist said that if we receive Holy Communion worthily, we become what we receive.

Thirdly, at the last supper, Jesus gave us his example with an important mandate: to love as he loved.  In a few moments, I will wash the feet of several of our fellow parishioners.  Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, the first priests, is a reminder to all priests, that the priesthood is about service.  Pope John Paul II, who will be canonized a saint in 10 days reminded us over and over that the ordained are to be the servants of the servants of God.  The Church doesn’t exist for the service of the hierarchy, the hierarchy exists for the service of the Church.

It is good for priests to be reminded of that.  And I ask all of you, in the name of all priests, please pray for us, often, that we may be faithful to the life to which we have been called. 

Yet, when he said, “as I have done for you, you should also do” he was speaking not just to the Twelve Apostles, but to all of us. All Christians are to be footwashers. We need to pay attention to the posture that Jesus takes: that of a house slave.  No chore or act of hospitality is too low for us, when it is done in love.   All Christians are to be poured out in service for their fellow man. 

I’m going to give you a little spiritual exercise.  Next time you go to the grocery store, every time you walk past someone, say to yourself, “I’m called to be their servant.  I’m called to wash their feet. “  No matter what ethnicity, gender, age, or religion; “I’m called to be their servant; I’m called to wash their feet.  I am called to be broken and poured out for them.  As I have seen Jesus do, God help me to do.”

At this Sacred banquet Christ teaches and feeds and washes and prepares us for the sacred banquet of heaven which will last for all eternity. 

As the Lord rose from supper and began to wash the feet of his disciples as an example to follow, I now invite those who have been chosen to come forward for the washing of their feet.  Please pray for your priests and pray for each other, that we may lay our hearts bare to Christ to be washed and fed, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.