On two occasions, Jesus rebukes Peter in the Gospels. The first time is when Jesus foretells his suffering and death but Peter objects. The second time is in the Gospel passage for today, when Jesus is about to serve the disciples by washing their feet but Peter tries to stop him.
In the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the focal point of the Last Supper narrative is the institution of the Eucharist, through which Christ gives us his Body and Blood to eat and drink under the appearance of bread and wine.
In his Gospel, John puts the emphasis on Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, an act which, at the time of Jesus, would have been performed only by the lowliest of servants. Through this act of service, Jesus models servant leadership for the disciples. He also leads us more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is Christ's self-giving to us. The Passover meal, which Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper, involved the sacrifice of a lamb for the people. But Jesus reinterprets the Passover. He offers himself as the lamb. His sacrifice, the reinterpreted Passover, is completed on the cross. He lays his life down for the salvation of all, so that we all might have eternal life.
At the heart of the Eucharist is the service and self-sacrifice of Christ. Those of us who partake of the Eucharist must be willing to imitate Christ in his service and self-sacrifice as the central aspects of our discipleship.
Peter at first resists both of these fundamental elements of the Eucharist and of being a follower of Christ. But in time, Peter learns. In fact, as the first pope, he becomes the high priest of the Eucharist. Indeed, he will give lay his own life down in martyrdom.
When we receive the Eucharist, does our communion lead us to service and self-sacrifice? Are we allowing Christ's presence in us to transform us and a make us more Christ-like? How does the Eucharist transform our communities? Those of us who gather together for Mass to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, do we labor to make our communities more Christ-like, infused with the spirit of service and self-sacrifice?
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The readings for Holy Thursday are:
Ex 12:1-8, 11-14
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
1 Cor 11:23-26
Jn 13:1-15
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: The Upper Room by Zoltan Abraham (c) 2016.