Holy Thursday 2009
Do this in memory of me
The Lord Jesus, after eating with his friends, washed their feet and said to them, do you know what I have done for you; and so you also should do.
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Holy Thursday 2009
Do this in memory of me
The Lord Jesus, after eating with his friends, washed their feet and said to them, do you know what I have done for you; and so you also should do.
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| Dear Brothers and Sisters in
Faith, Peace be with you. The Liturgy of Holy Thursday has great meaning to us in the Christian World. It is the day when Christ gave his body and blood to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In his words he said, “do this in memory of me”. We have to recognize that Christianity had not yet come into being. This bread and wine, transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, was given for all, not a select component of humanity. This Body and Blood is given as nourishment for the soul and for the forgiveness of sin. The Eucharist is our healing, sustenance, and bond. We are called to the table of the Lord to gather around and see the Love that Jesus gives. This gift given by the Christ is indeed for all and no individual or organization is to prevent the people from receiving it. We must always remember that Christ came to gather us all together in peace and love. The Christ did not push humanity away but brought them together. After eating with his friends, he washed their feet. He said to them, if I your Lord wash your feet, so you also should follow in my ways. This is a symbol of great love, and indicates that we as followers of the Christ are called to serve and not be served. Too many times we forget that the institution that formed after the Resurrection is to serve and to gather humanity together with love, compassion, open hearts, and peace. Do we follow the example of the Christ? Do we drive individuals away with oppressive rules and canons? Do we make judgments and condemnation of our fellow brothers and sisters? Do we open our hearts, the doors of our minds, and our arms that surround another in love? It is not only the responsibility of the Religious Institutions to be like Christ, but for all to bring love and peace to one another. Dear Brothers and Sisters, I ask and pray that especially in these troubled times of war and economic instability, that we all reach out to the Lord in the Eucharist and to our fellow brothers and sisters no matter where and who they are. So much of the Lord’s work still needs to take place. Let us be the eyes that see injustice. Let our hearts be the instruments of love and compassion. Let us give of ourselves in service as we follow him who came to serve rather than be served. The soul is God’s, and the soul has no gender or color, and yearns to return to the God who breathed life into it. Come to the Lord, come to the table of the Lord, and taste his goodness. The Lord will not hold you back. He loves you and wants to be with you. +Lawrence J. Harms, D. D. Presiding Archbishop ACCUS |