Maundy Thursday 2007.

Example of humility and service.

Instituting the Sacrament of Eucharist

Origin of the Passover meal.

We are given the background to the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples.

St. Paul was a late-comer to apostleship. He was not present at the last supper. But he tells us that the Lord himself communicated to him what happened that night. That the Lord declared that the bread in his hands is his body and the wine in the cup he is holding is his blood, the blood of the New Covenant that God is giving to his people. 

On this day, approximately 1975 years ago Jesus sat down with his disciples to eat the Passover meal. This meal was a yearly commemoration of a great event in the history of his people; the Exodus from Egypt when they left a life of slavery to the Egyptians for a free life as God’s chosen people. For Jesus and his disciples this event was about as far back in time as for us the Last Supper was. Then, soon after the original Passover Meal God gave them the Covenant that he would look after them if they kept the Ten Commandments. This covenant was not a success and most of the people lived their lives far from God. So at the Last Supper Jesus instituted a New Covenant. Instead of a book full of rules and regulations he offered himself to us. Believe in me, he said, love God, yourselves and other people. My yoke is easy, he said and my burden is light.

He instituted the Eucharist that we celebrate at every Mass. This is the offering of his Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine. Blood sacrifices are not part of our culture