Maundy Thursday: The Eucharist and the Mystery of Love

Maundy Thursday - Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper: April 17, 2025

Readings: Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13: 1-15

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/pDXOP0LHmQo

On Maundy Thursday, the Church invites us to enter deeply into two profound gestures of Jesus: the washing of His disciples' feet and the institution of the Eucharist. Both moments, while distinct, reveal the same mystery at the heart of Christian life: self-giving love. On this day, we gather around the altar to solemnly commemorate the Lord’s Last Supper — the night before His Passion, when Christ gave Himself to us in the mystery of the Eucharist. The readings for this liturgy draw us into the heart of the Christian mystery: the covenant of love sealed by sacrifice, the call to remembrance, and the profound gesture of service. To receive the Eucharist is to receive the very life of Christ into ourselves. But to share that life authentically means imitating Christ’s posture: the willingness to wash the feet of others, to serve, to lower oneself in love.

1. Eucharist Makes the Chruch, and Church makes the Eucharist

This night draws us deep into the Eucharistic mystery, and few theologians have expressed its significance as beautifully as Henri de Lubac. In his profound reflection on the Eucharist, de Lubac emphasized that the Eucharist is not merely something the Church celebrates; it is what the Church becomes. He writes, “The Church makes the Eucharist, and the Eucharist makes the Church.”

For de Lubac, the Eucharist is not only about the transformation of bread and wine, but also about the transformation of those who partake. The sacrament draws believers into the Body of Christ, both spiritually and communally. It is not a private moment of devotion but a shared mystery that binds us to Christ and to each other. On Maundy Thursday, as the Church reenacts the Last Supper, we are reminded that the Eucharist is the sacrament of unity — a communion that demands both remembrance and imitation.

2. Eucharist Transforms Us, Divinizes us

And the Gospel reading today John 13: 1-15, pushes us beyond adoration into action. John’s account of the Last Supper omits the institution narrative and focuses instead on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples — a deeply symbolic act of humility and love. The Eucharist is not fully understood until we live the pattern it contains: self-giving love. The body that is broken and the blood that is poured out become, in John’s narrative, the Master who lowers Himself to wash His friends' feet. In the Eucharist, Jesus gives not a symbol, but His very self. His body is broken and His blood is poured out — the supreme act of love — so that we might share in His divine life.

In this moment, Jesus offers us the truest form of theology: an enacted word. The Eucharist and the washing of the feet are two expressions of the same reality — the self-emptying love of God. De Lubac helps us see that in receiving Christ, we are meant to be transformed into Him, which means taking on His posture of service. And the Gospel of John leads us away from the bread and wine to another kind of “breaking” — the breaking of self in humble service, as Jesus kneels to wash His disciples’ feet.

3. Abiding Love of God Shared through Service

The washing of the feet, as narrated in the Gospel of John (13:1-15), is a striking and unexpected act. In the world of Jesus, washing the feet of guests was the task of the lowliest servant — an act associated with humility and social inferiority. But here, Jesus, the Teacher and Lord, sets aside His outer garment, kneels down, and begins to wash the feet of His disciples, even the one who would betray Him.

This action is not just a lesson in politeness or humility; it is a prophetic sign of the entire mystery of salvation. Jesus shows that true greatness is found in service, and that His mission is to stoop down into the human condition, wash away its dirt and wounds, and lift it up through love. By this gesture, He redefines leadership, power, and holiness: the path to God lies through self-emptying love. In the Eucharist, the Church is born. In the washing of the feet, the Church is shown how to live.

Questions for self-reflection:

1. How do I allow the Eucharist to shape my daily life, beyond the moments I spend in Church?
2. Will I allow the Eucharist to shape not only our prayer but also our way of living? 
3. Is my service rooted in love or in a sense of obligation or pride?

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

On this sacred night, You knelt before Your disciples and washed their feet, teaching us that true love is humble, and true greatness is found in service. You broke the bread and shared the cup, offering us Your very self — a love poured out without measure.

As we stand before the mystery of Your Eucharist and the tenderness of Your self-emptying, open our hearts to receive You more deeply. Teach us to become what we receive, so that Your life may shape our lives, and Your love may become the pattern of our days.  Give us the courage to serve as You served, to love as You loved, and to forgive as You forgave. May we learn to bend low, not in defeat but in compassion, meeting others in their need, and lifting them with the strength that comes from You. We make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

April 16, 2025