Eucharist and Christian Life: Consuming the Body of Christ so that We Might Become the Body of Christ"
Today's Mass Readings
Today begins our Triduum. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil), are deep with meaning that colors not only this particular day, but the whole of the Christian life. The paschal mystery expressed in this Triduum is at the heart of all we do. The first reading from Exodus sets the stage for what is to come. Here the Lord explains the Jewish Passover to Moses. This “memorial feast” is to be celebrated by all generations, recalling God’s saving work in the exodus. The lamb is an important feature of this Passover. It is a male without blemish, slaughtered during the evening twilight. Through the blood of this lamb, the people are protected from the killing of the firstborns – a punishment of the Egyptians for not releasing the Israelites. John’s Gospel will ultimately make a connection between the Passover lambs and Jesus. Jesus will himself die during the evening twilight, at the same time that the Jews are slaughtering their Passover lambs. Interestingly, however, this is not the passage from John’s Gospel in today’s Mass. The passage instead is the well-known account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. It differs from the other gospels’ Last Supper accounts by emphasizing Jesus as a model of service, rather than focusing on the institution of the Eucharist. Though “teacher” and “master,” Jesus does not hesitate to serve his disciples by washing their feet. And this feet washing is a precursor to his even greater sacrifice – laying down his life on the cross for his friends. This we celebrate tomorrow.
Today our emphasis is two-fold: 1. Eucharistic and 2. The life that flows from Eucharist. We see the first theme reflected in the second reading where Paul recounts Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: “Do this in remembrance of me.” The psalm response also reflects this theme: “Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.” Both of these connect to the Passover account in the first reading. Jesus is our Passover lamb, crucified for us. As did the Israelites, we eat the body of this lamb: we consume Christ, our Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world – in the Eucharist.
And in consuming the body of Christ, we are to become the body of Christ. This is our second theme – the life that flows from the Eucharist. It is expressed exquisitely by Jesus’ actions in our gospel story. The Christian life is a life of service and sacrifice, even to the point of death. John tells us that, even in the face of death, Jesus “loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (Jn. 3:1b). In fact, it is precisely this love that made him willing to wash the disciples’ feet and to die on the cross.
On this day and on every day, we are given this love of Jesus in a tangible way. We are given his very own body and blood for our nourishment. Let us receive that love with open hearts, accepting God’s love that we may also love, consuming the body of Christ that we may become the body of Christ. Let us be particularly conscious this Holy Thursday of the way that our lives flow from and are a response to the love given to us by God.
-Maria Morrow