Scrip: Ex. 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps. 116:12-13, 15-18.; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Jn. 13:1-15
The Church enters into Holy Week with the celebration of Passion Sunday. From there, we are led into the heart of the Paschal Mystery through three sacred days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. These days are not isolated events but are intrinsically linked, forming one single celebration, known as the Sacred Triduum.
On Holy Thursday, we begin the Eucharistic celebration with the opening greeting, but the Mass concludes without a final blessing. The faithful remain in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and the altar is stripped in silence. On Good Friday, no Mass is celebrated. Instead, we gather for the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and a Communion service — all held in profound silence. The liturgy begins and ends without formal greetings or dismissal. Finally, on the Easter Vigil, we begin not with the usual rites, but with the Service of Light, followed by the proclamation of the Easter Exsultet, the Liturgy of the Word, and the celebration of the Eucharist, which concludes with the final blessing. These three days unfold the deepest mysteries of our faith i.e. Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
As we gather on Holy Thursday, the first of the sacred days, we celebrate three foundational realities of our faith: 1) The institution of the Eucharist; 2) The institution of the ministerial priesthood; 3) The new commandment of love and service
Each of these is central to Christian life. When Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me,” He wasn’t merely asking for a ritual to be repeated. He was anticipating His total self-giving on the Cross, offering His Body and Blood at the Last Supper. By asking His apostles to “do this”, He instituted not only the Eucharist but also the sacrament of Holy Orders; calling men to stand in His place, in service to the Church.
Today, however, we reflect especially on the third aspect: the commandment of love and service. Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday, from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “command.” Jesus gave a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Immediately after this, He knelt to wash the feet of His disciples, showing through action what He had just commanded in words. It was a display of radical humility and selfless love.
This third dimension is the call to love and service. It is often overlooked. Yet, it is inseparable from the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only a gift to be received; it is a mission to be lived. It sends us forth to serve, especially the poor and the vulnerable.
This truth was powerfully preached by the Fathers of the Church. St. John Chrysostom once said, “Do you wish to honor the Body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when He is naked. Do not adorn the Church with precious vestments and ignore the suffering Christ outside its doors.” He challenged the faithful to let their worship become charity, and their reverence at the altar become compassion in the streets. The same message echoes in the teachings of Pope Francis, who said in his homily for Corpus Christi 2015: “You cannot partake of the Eucharist and not be moved to act in love toward the poor.”
The Church has consistently followed the mind of Christ. When Jesus gave us the Eucharist and the priesthood, He was also thinking of the poor, the forgotten, the suffering. Every Eucharistic celebration ends with the call:“Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” This is not a dismissal. It is a commission. The Eucharist strengthens us to become Eucharist for others.
Few people understood this better than St. Teresa of Calcutta. She drew her strength from the daily Mass and adoration. For her, the Eucharist and service were one. She once said: “The Eucharist involves us in the poor. Christ, whom we receive in the Eucharist, we must find in the slums and in the broken.”
May we grow in our understanding of the Eucharist as a school of love and service. Jesus not only taught us this with words but He lived it with His life. The saints followed His example. Today, can we imitate our Master? Can we allow the Eucharist to move our hearts and hands toward the poor, the lonely, the forgotten? To receive Christ in the Eucharist is to become Christ for the world.
