THE HOLY EUCHARIST, THE PRIESTHOOD AND CHARITY.*

*HOMILY OF THURSDAY, EVENING OF THE LORD’S SUPER.
*
MAUNDY THURSDAY
R1:- Isaiah 61:1-3abcd. 6a.8b-9
PS:- 89:21-22.25.27
R2:- Revelation 1:5-8
Accl:- Luke 4:18
Gosp:- Luke 4:16-21

*THEME: THE HOLY EUCHARIST, THE PRIESTHOOD AND CHARITY.*

In our today’s liturgy of the Lord’s Super, we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Priesthood and we are invited to dedicate ourselves to the work of charity.

The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he made to his Father for our salvation. The priest, in persona Christi, (standing for Christ) re-enacts this Holy Sacrifice on the altar in an unbloodied manner.

Moreover, an altar is erected for the purpose of offering Sacrifice. A sacrifice needs a priest to offer it. The Sacrifice is made to God. In this sacrifice, Jesus is both the priest and the victim. Sharing in his priesthood is sharing is his sacrifice.

In the Holy Eucharist, Jesus, the Lamb, willingly offered himself in thanksgiving to his Father. The word “Eucharistein” simply mean, Thanksgiving. Any time we join in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we simply join ourselves to the Lord in this beautiful act of thanksgiving.

More so, as lay faithfuls, we are called to unite ourselves to this special sacrifice. During the Eucharistic celebration, we come forward before the altar with our offering.

We are what we bring. What we bring make us partakers in the sacrifice on the altar. We present bread and wine for the celebration. We equally bring our money. This symbolises or better put, stands as the physical translation of our offering to God. It captures all we do in the street as part of our share in the life of Christ.

Our offerings are part of our partaking in the unbloodied offering of Christ on the banquet table. That is what we share in the Holy Communion; our life, our oneness in the Lord. It is what boosts our love, our life in common, thus increasing the strength of our souls and sending us back into the world to do more works in the footsteps of the Divine Saviour.

Our life must rythm with our gift. Our service must be done in love. Our sacrifice must be offered in God and to God.

The washing of feet is a call to a life of service. All we give or offer and all we do must connect and form a whole act of worship. This is what makes our life worthy of God’s worship. There is no love without giving. Giving without love is giving for giving sake. It has no spiritual benefit.

As we celebrate this day, let us draw more closer to Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of his love. It is fitting we strive to live Eucharistic life. Let us equally  support, encourage and  pray for our priests. Let us increase in our reverence for them.

May the Lord accept our life as offerings fitting for his service. May all we do and say be offered for an eternal harvest. Amen.