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[v.6] Homily – April 17, 2025 / Holy Thursday ● Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 ● Psalm 116 ● 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ● John 13:1-15 ●
Title: __Holy Thursday Homily: The Love That Redeems__
__01.
Fulfillment of the Traditional Jewish Passover__
As we start these 3 days of Holy Thursday- Good
Friday – Easter, we also read of the original Passover.
Jesus, our Rabbi
and Teacher, sat at table with His disciples. But He is not just sharing a
meal—He is preparing them for something much deeper. Like any good teacher,
Jesus has a lesson plan, though His is not confined to words or theories. It is
a lesson that stretches the minds and hearts of His followers, a lesson that is
embodied in sacrifice, humility, and love.
Throughout their time with Jesus, the disciples struggled to grasp the full meaning of His message. Despite witnessing His miracles and hearing His parables and messages about sacrifice and being HUMBLE .. rather than being humbled themselves, they stumbled, especially when Jesus predicted His suffering and death. Peter resisted the notion of Jesus being arrested. All 12 quarreled over who was the greatest. James and John sought the most honored places in His kingdom. They heard His words but couldn’t quite understand their implications. They needed ongoing formation—continuing education—in the ways of humility and divine love. And honestly, do I not also need these lessons? Do you?
__02. Multiplication of the Loaves__
One event in Jesus’ ministry especially speaks to
the meaning of this night: the multiplication of the loaves. On a hillside at
twilight, Jesus faced a massive, hungry crowd. Over 5,000 people had followed
Him, and now they needed to be fed. It was an impossible task by human
standards. Jesus turns to Philip and asks, “Where can we buy enough food for
them to eat?” Philip immediately starts doing the math. “Lord, even 200 days’
wages wouldn’t be enough,” he replies—probably with a tired look and a mental
spreadsheet.
But Jesus wasn’t asking for a menu or a budget. He was inviting faith. He was preparing them for something greater. Just as He would provide for their physical hunger, He would one day nourish their souls. This miracle—the only one recorded in all 4 Gospels—was not just about bread and fish. It pointed ahead to the Eucharist, the spiritual food that would sustain His followers through every trial. God provides. He always has.
__03. Ancient Passover in Egypt__
We hear tonight in the first reading about the
first Passover. The Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt, and God gave them a
way out. Through Moses, He instructed them to prepare a meal and be ready to
leave at a moment’s notice. The word *Exodus* means “exit,” and this was their
great escape. But it was also a journey of faith and obedience.
God not only wanted to save individuals, but an entire people, a family. And to this day, we continue this family journey. In our worship, our fasting, our prayer—even our support of the parish—we are called to build a community of mercy. We prepare this table not just for ourselves, but for those who will come in after us, just as others did before us.
__04. The Passover Lamb and Community__
The original Passover required the sacrifice of a
lamb. Its blood marked the homes of the faithful so that the angel of death
would pass over them. The lamb provided nourishment for the journey ahead, and
it sanctified the people. Notably, if someone couldn’t afford a lamb or didn’t
have enough people to eat one, they were to join another family. It was always
a shared act, never isolated. Salvation was communal.
The lamb symbolized both protection and sustenance. It was offered by the people, but it was also the victim. It gave life to others through its sacrifice. That image of Lamb connected to God’s covenant is fulfilled in Jesus.
__05. Jesus as Priest and Victim__
At the Last Supper, Jesus becomes the new Passover
Lamb. He institutes the Eucharist, ordains His disciples to carry out this
sacred act, and establishes a covenant that is both sustainable and eternal. He
is the priest offering the sacrifice—and He is the sacrifice itself.
Unlike the lambs of old or modern-day victims who suffer unexpectedly, Jesus chooses His suffering. He knows what awaits Him and accepts it out of love. In this,
He
redefines vulnerability. In a world filled with illness, injustice, war, and
hardship, Jesus shows us that vulnerability can be powerful. It can be
redemptive. As He once said in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you when they
insult you and persecute you… Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be
great in heaven.” (Mt 5:11–12)
The first Sermon on the Mount taught us how to live; Calvary is His second “sermon on the mount,” where Jesus teaches us how to die—with forgiveness on His lips and love in His heart: “Today you will be with me in paradise,” He tells the thief. And to those crucifying Him, He prays: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
__06. Love and Suffering: Washing of Feet__
Tonight, we
witness one of Jesus’ most tender acts: He kneels before His disciples and
washes their feet. This wasn’t just an act of kindness—it was a command: “As I
have done for you, so you also should do.” (Jn 13:15)
In this command,
Jesus multiplies Himself through us. Every time we serve one another in
humility, we carry out His mission. Every time we forgive, especially when it’s
hard, we echo His love. Love and suffering are mysteriously connected. Love
gives suffering meaning, and suffering, when endured with love, becomes
redemptive.
Is there someone
you find hard to love? Someone you struggle to forgive? Let tonight be a
turning point. Suffering without love is just pain. But love that embraces
suffering brings transformation.
Love, as Jesus told Martha and Mary, is the one thing necessary.
__07. United in Sacrifice and Joy__
St. Augustine, in his reflections on Christ’s
Passion, reminded the faithful that while Jesus laid down His life voluntarily,
we do not choose the length or terms of our lives. Still, because of His
sacrifice, we can face suffering with hope. Augustine writes, “No martyr by
shedding his blood brings forgiveness of sins. Jesus gave us not a reason to
suffer, but a reason to rejoice in our suffering.”
That is what this night means. We gather not only for a Mass at 7 PM on Holy Thursday. We enter an eternal mystery—one that connects us to all the saints and angels who now rejoice in heaven. At every Mass, we join in their song:
__Lamb of God, you take away the sins of
the world, have mercy on us.__
__Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.__
__Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.__
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