HOLY THURSDAY - EVENING MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER (John 13:1-15) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

READING OF THE DAY

First reading from the Book of ExodusEx 12:1-8, 11-14

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your familiesmust procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring oneand shall share in the lambin proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its bloodand apply it to the two doorposts and the lintelof every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted fleshwith unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

“This is how you are to eat it:with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD.For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,which all your generations shall celebratewith pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”

Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians1 Cor 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John Jn 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had cometo pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper,fully aware that the Father had put everything into his powerand that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basinand began to wash the disciples’ feetand dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later. ”Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet. "Jesus answered him,“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me. "Simon Peter said to him,“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well. "Jesus said to him,“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,for he is clean all over;so you are clean, but not all. "For he knew who would betray him;for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feetand put his garments back on and reclined at table again,he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow,so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today's Word of God, God renewed His covenant when He signed with the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt. This covenant was signed by God with the blood of a spotless lamb according to God's instructions. Each family must sacrifice an unblemished lamb, then take its blood and smear it on the doorframe.

On that night, God will pass through the land of Egypt. Any house has the mark of the blood of a lamb as a sign that they belong to God's people, then God will pass over them and they will not suffer destructive plague when God brings disaster to the land of Egypt. Any house without the mark of the sheep's blood will be destroyed. All who follow His instructions will live. That is the calling that God calls humans to always live in close union with God the Father through the covenant because He has spoken that this covenant shall be kept always and forever.

The image of the ancient covenant was the blood of a spotless lamb, and more than two thousand years ago, this covenant was signed at the price of the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth to become a human, sacrificed, and died to atone for the sins of all humanity.

This love comes from the heart of God the Father. Because of His love for humanity, He sent His Son to earth to become a human, to accompany, and to be with humanity until the end of the world.

God is love, it is out of love that He established the covenant. He loves everyone who remains on earth and He loves them to the end.

It must be said that, in this world, there is no love as great as God's love for humanity.

Furthermore, He sacrificed, lowered Himself to earth to become a human, to suffer, to be tested, and He died as a blood price to redeem humanity from the imprisonment of Satan.

This image is expressed by God through the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God coming to earth to become a human.

It was on the night of His betrayal that Jesus Christ performed an act of love for humanity by leaving the table, straightening His waist, and then serving by bending down and washing the feet of his disciples.

This action is a shining example of service, through which God wants to teach His children to love each other and serve each other with the same love that God has done. Just before Jesus was to be crucified, He taught His disciples: "'Love one another. As I have loved you.'"

This is the calling that God the Father wants for all of His children to direct our lives to Him and to unite with our brothers and sisters.

The unity here is love, loving God above all things, and loving our brothers and sisters as ourselves.

In God's Word today, God calls all humanity to be humble, humble ourselves, lower ourselves to serve, wash each other's feet, support, and love our fellow brothers and sisters. As Jesus Christ once said to His disciples: "If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet."

This calling will always echo until the end of time. To sacrifice as Jesus Christ sacrificed for humanity so that everyone can gain eternal life.

Today's Word of God also says that God loves humanity to the utmost; He has found ways to stay with humans in all places and at all times. He manifests this image through the Eucharist when He makes a covenant with humanity through His own flesh and blood. He stays with humans so that humans can become conformed to Him in all places and at all times.

When everyone is determined to live what God the Father teaches and desires to have God the Father dwell in our hearts, He calls all humanity as His children to :

- Come to the Eucharist, which is the Sacrament of love, the very Flesh and Blood of the Son of God.

- Pray for Him to dwell in our hearts, to accompany, nurture, and protect us from the captivity of Satan.

Because the Eucharist is the divine food given by God to nourish humanity.

God always accompanies and is with humans always, in all places and at all times.

In particular, He is present in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who came to earth to become a human and voluntarily sacrificed and died to become a small piece of bread, for people to receive Him into our hearts, to be nourished by Him and given eternal life.

Thanks be to God. Amen.