Today, on Holy Thursday, we remember the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood. In a time when both are under unprecedented attack, it is right and good that we remember the words and actions of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, at the Last Supper, gave us these spiritual treasures some two thousand years ago.
Jesus washed the feet of the twelve not only to set an example of service to others but as a symbol of priestly ordination. Jesus told the apostles:
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. John 13:13-15.
Jesus had explicitly chosen these poor, humble, and insignificant men (not women) to continue his mission and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. Except for Judas, the betrayer, all those ordained at the Last Supper faithfully followed his teachings and forever changed human history.
But today, good and holy priests seem to be getting canceled. Those who promote heresy and immorality appear to be elevated. The call for women’s ordination to the diaconate is lately increasing to a fever pitch. It is slated to be discussed at the synod in the fall. Those who hope to modernize the church are trampling all over Catholic teaching and tradition. Many good men are caught in the crosshairs, so remember to pray for all those who serve in the priesthood, as they need our help and support.
Jesus also gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The familiar words we hear at every Sunday mass are echoed today, and we should deeply contemplate their meaning:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shedon behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28.
In an article from the Church Life Journal from Notre Dame entitled, What Do American Catholics Really Know and Believe About the Eucharist? Author Mark Gray, reported on a 2019 Pew Research Center study that stated:
A new Pew Research Center survey finds that most self-described Catholics don’t believe this core teaching [Transubstantiation]. In fact, nearly seven in ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.
This is shocking and disappointing news. Only 31% of Catholics actually believe that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The balance looks at the Eucharist as a merely a symbol. This is likely the result of poor catechesis over the last fifty years. No wonder our churches are empty. Why devote time each Sunday to receive just a symbol?
But for those of you who know the value of the Eucharist, there is a beautiful old-fashioned tradition on Holy Thursday evening of visiting a series of Catholic churches in your area and praying before the Blessed Sacrament. There is no better way to ‘sit and keep watch’ with our Lord then to come before his real presence and pray. The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception say it this way, “Kneeling before Him and pouring out our hearts melts away our concerns and fears. Nourished by His love, we leave with grace, renewed hope, and peace.”
From all of us at GMC, may God bless you and yours during this most holy week of the year. May you also experience a most blessed Easter season filled with the peace and hope of the Resurrection.