Homily: Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday (Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14) “Passover and the Mass”
One of the wonderful things about Sacred Heart Church is that around the Sanctuary (area around the altar) there are a series of windows that depict various Biblical scenes that relate to the Eucharist. We have the Last Supper painted in stained glass over the high altar. We have a window that shows the feeding of the Israelites during their desert sojourn. We also have a scene that shows the children of Israel celebrating Passover the night they left Egypt and slavery.
We see in this window Moses with staff in hand. We see the unleavened bread that is part of the Passover meal. We also see a lamb that has been roasted. The food was food for the journey and food eaten in haste. The Israelites left their bondage behind. They became a free people.
As Catholics we seldom connect what happens at Mass to Passover. But we know that Jesus was commemorating Passover the night he instituted the Eucharist. The Passover meal represented the Old Covenant between God and his chosen people. The Mass is the sign of the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant was continuously renewed in the temple in Jerusalem. Sheep and oxen were sacrificed. A lot of the meat was burned on the altar. God consumed his portion of the meal in this way. A part of the meat would also be consumed by the people offering the sacrifice. The symbolism was powerful. God was sharing a meal with those who believed in him. It was a bloody sacrifice.
The New Covenant is said to be an unbloody sacrifice. We use Bread and Wine. There is no animal sacrificed. Jesus has been sacrificed once and for all time. We still have a meal. The action we engage in is the sign of our covenant with God.
We remember today and throughout the Triduum celebration that we have been freed from sin and death by the saving work of Jesus Christ. May we rejoice in this truth as we begin the Triduum liturgy tonight.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever taken part in a Passover Meal? If I have, did I see similarities with the Mass?
- What other parallels are there between Passover and Eucharist? Why should I think about this?
Dear Parishioners,
Tonight, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. During this liturgy, I will wash the feet of people in the parish. It seems like this simple gesture has been fraught with controversy during my lifetime.
Questions were asked, like should the twelve people who have their feet washed all be men? Parishes were washing both men and women’s feet long before it was deemed appropriate by church authorities. The People of God felt like Jesus would do that today. He would not restrict the symbol. We are to serve all. As Jesus did so must we do.
When Pope Francis went to prison and washed the feet of criminals without regard to their sex or religion many Catholics did not like it. Once again, our preconceived ideas were challenged. We are to serve everyone. We don’t ask the hungry what religion they are. Nor do we ask the sick if they are Catholic. Disciples of Jesus are to serve everyone.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for us.
Fr. Mark