{"id":2104,"date":"2017-04-13T20:48:31","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T00:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=2104"},"modified":"2017-04-13T20:48:31","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T00:48:31","slug":"holy-thursday-2017-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/holy-thursday-2017-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"Holy Thursday 2017 Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holy Thursday<\/a>
\nExodus 12:1-8, 11-14
\nPsalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18\"\"<\/a>
\n1 Corinthians 11:23-26
\nJohn 13:1-15
\nApril 13, 2017<\/p>\n

Tonight we begin something very special, our Easter Triduum<\/em>.\u00a0 The word \u201ctriduum\u201d means three days.\u00a0 What we begin tonight lasts until Sunday.\u00a0 Our celebration spans three days but we need to view all of it as one event.<\/p>\n

Our readings tonight begin with the story of the first Passover.\u00a0 As Christians we might view Passover as an event in the past but for the Jews, it stands at the head of their calendar.\u00a0 Even as we enter our Triduum Jews today are celebrating the Passover as a \u201cmemorial feast\u201d <\/em>and \u201cperpetual institution<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today we might think of the Passover as a Jewish meal.\u00a0 It is but it is also much more than that.\u00a0 The first Passover came as God liberated the Jews from slavery in Egypt.\u00a0 God commanded that they sacrifice a lamb that was without blemish and apply some of the blood to the doorposts to mark their homes so that the Lord might \u2018pass over\u2019 their homes as he went through Egypt taking their first-born.\u00a0 That is original \u2018pass over\u2019 action as God set them free from slavery.<\/p>\n

It is not a coincidence that Jesus chose to give his life for us at the time of the Passover.\u00a0 In fact, right before his arrest and Crucifixion, he celebrates this feast with his disciples.\u00a0 As he shares this Passover with his disciples, he takes this solemn feast and unites it to his Crucifixion to come.<\/p>\n

He does this as he says \u201cThis is my body that is for you\u2026 This cup is the new covenant in my blood\u2026do this in remembrance of me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

He does not say here is this \u2018bread\u2019, here is this \u2018wine.\u2019\u00a0 No, his words are clear referring to them as his Body and Blood.\u00a0 These words are Jesus\u2019 own words and they are how we know Jesus transubstantiates the bread and wine into his Body and Blood.\u00a0 It truly is the Real Presence of Jesus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not only does he transform the bread and wine into his Body and Blood.\u00a0 He speaks of his body and blood given up for us.\u00a0 In doing so, Jesus unites what we celebrate tonight to his Crucifixion that comes tomorrow so that \u201cas often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 This, together with Jesus\u2019 words, \u201cDo this in remembrance of me<\/em>\u201d is Jesus directing us to celebrate the Eucharist.\u00a0 It was not to be celebrated just once in the past.\u00a0 \u00a0Neither is what we celebrate a new<\/em><\/strong> sacrifice.\u00a0 As we celebrate the Eucharist today, Jesus makes present what he did 2,000 years ago.<\/p>\n

This is why the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith.\u00a0 This is also why we have priests.\u00a0 To celebrate the Eucharist as a sacrifice requests a priest.\u00a0 All of this is why Holy Thursday is called both the Institution of the Eucharist and <\/em><\/strong>the Institution of the Priesthood.<\/p>\n

All of this is very special but there is one more action we need to reflect on.\u00a0 When I finish my homily, we will celebrate the Washing of the Feet.<\/p>\n

This is not just a reenactment from a scene in Jesus\u2019 life like a play would be.\u00a0 Jesus washing the feet of his disciples gives us a \u201cmodel to follow.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

While washing of feet is a basic human action, washing the feet of another person is not viewed as a pleasurable task.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 days on Earth, it is a task given to the lowest of the slaves.\u00a0 No leader or master would do this himself.\u00a0 It would be considered demeaning.\u00a0 Jesus changes that and says we must all serve.<\/p>\n

To appreciate this we need to think about what Jesus does as he begins to wash their feet.\u00a0 He \u201ctook off his outer garments<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 I will do the same in a moment.<\/p>\n

This might seem purely functional to take off the robe for movement and not to get the chasuble wet but it signifies something far greater.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 days on Earth, the garments signified the status of the person.\u00a0 Even today, my chasuble signifies the role I have as priest.<\/p>\n

So, Jesus removing his outer garment, and my removal of my chasuble, is a sign of humility, recognizing that we are not here to be served but to serve.\u00a0 I am a priest not to gain status but to serve you.<\/p>\n

As we know celebrate the Washing of the Feet, I invite all of you to think about what the Eucharist and the priesthood means to you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Holy Thursday Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 John 13:1-15 April 13, 2017 Tonight we begin something very special, our Easter Triduum.\u00a0 The word \u201ctriduum\u201d means three days.\u00a0 What we begin tonight lasts until Sunday.\u00a0 Our celebration spans three days but we need to view all of it as one event. …<\/p>\n

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