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Prepared by:

Richard G. Pazcoguin

UST Institute of Religion

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Every year, at Holy Thursday, during the evening Mass of the LordsSupper, we re-enact one of Christs greatest sermons of all time-symbolic gesture performed by our Lord before his last Passovermeal with his disciples the Washing of the Feet.

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It was customary for the Jews to

assign a servant to wash the feet oftheir guests as they enter the hostshouse. The difference in thisincident is that Jesus himself did thewashing. He performed the role of aservant, thus illustrating what hislife and mission was: he came toserve, not to be served, andtherefore those who follow himmust serve one another.

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The washing of the feet was a sermonin itself. Jesus was teaching hisdisciples that true leadership ismanifested through humble service.

The greatest must be the least. Theleader must be the servant of all.

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Every act of service is an act oflove. The greatest love thatChrist spoke of is the layingdown of life for ones friends.

Thus, every time we selflesslyoffer ourselves to serve others,we are, like Christ, laying downour lives for them.

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In theBread of Lifediscoursefound in John 6, Jesus Christ saidthat he will give his flesh as foodand blood as drink for the salvation

of the world.

He who eats my flesh and drinksmy blood has life in him, and I willraise him up on the last day.

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1. The PASSOVER MEAL

The Passover Meal was a meal eaten by theJews in anticipation of their liberation fromEgypt.

The Passover meal hosted by Christ was ananticipation of our liberation fron sin anddeath through His pasch.

The blood of the lamb protected the Israelitesfrom death, the blood ofTHE LAMB

delivered the world from everlasting death.

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2. MANNA

Manna is calledbread from heaven. Thisbread sustained the Israelites in theirjourney from slavery to the promised land.

Jesus is the living bread from heaven. ThisLiving Bread, which is his very self, shallsustain the church as she journeys towardsthe true promised land heaven.

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This is my bodythis is my blood.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave hisvery self, under the appearances ofbread and wine, as food that willbring humanity to everlasting life.

By breaking the bread and sharing thewine, he illlustrated what will happento him the next day: he will be killedand his blood will be shed, but just asfood gives life, this death will bring

life to the world.

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Do this in remembrance of Me

At the last Supper, Christ commandedhis disciples to perpertuate thecommemoration of His saving actthrough the Holy Meal.

In obedience to this command, thechurch celebrates the breaking of thebread, the Holy Eucharist, whereChirst becomes truly, really, andsubstantially present under theappearances of bread and wine.

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In his farewell discourse to his apostles,

Jesus left them with a newcommandment:

Love one another as I have loved you.Greater love than this, no man has: tolay down ones life for ones friends.

The love of Jesus is the measure of aChristians love.

The Christians love for one another isthe most concrete proof of discipleship.

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Watch and pray that you may not be put

to the test. The spirit is willing but theflesh is weak

Before he prayed, Jesus invited hisdisciples to pray with him, but they werejust too tired so they fell asleep.

Prayer is a Christians source of strength.People who hardly find time to pray areeasily enslaved by worldliness and drawnaway from God.

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My heart is nearly broken withsorrow

During his agony in Gethsemane,Jesus saw the tremendous sufferingsthat he would have to go through.His sweat became like drops ofblood. A man like us, he experiencedfear and anguish.

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Father, if it is possible, let this cup ofbitterness pass from me

Humanly speaking, when we pray, wetend to ask God what we want Him to dofor us, not necessarily what He wants tobe done.

The prayer of Jesus was not imposinganything on the Father. While he prayedfor the possibility of being spared fromhis passion, he was open to what Godwanted to be done.

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yet not my will, but Your willbe done.

Prayer is an act of total surrenderto the Fathers will, accepting infaith that His will is best, even ifthis holy will is beyond humanunderstanding.

We pray not to impose our willon God, but that our will will bein communion with His holy will.