Holy Thursday A Reflection on the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Year C)

Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025: A Reflection on the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Year C)

Holy Thursday, celebrated on April 17, 2025, marks the beginning of the Sacred Triduum in the Catholic Church, a time when we enter deeply into the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on this day commemorates three pivotal events: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ’s example of humble service through the washing of the feet. The readings for Year C, as assigned in the Roman Missal, guide us through these mysteries, inviting us to reflect on Christ’s self-gift and the profound reality of the Eucharist as His literal Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This post explores the readings, the significance of the washing of the feet, the institution of the priesthood, the Eucharist, and the theological basis for the Real Presence, drawing on Scripture, Church teaching, and the Church Fathers.

The Readings for Holy Thursday (Year C)

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday in Year C features readings that highlight the themes of covenant, service, and sacrifice:

• First Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
  This passage recounts the institution of the Passover, where God instructs the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb, mark their doorposts with its blood, and eat the meal in haste as they prepare for liberation from Egypt. “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution” (Exodus 12:14). The Passover prefigures the Eucharist, with Christ as the true Paschal Lamb whose blood saves us from the slavery of sin.
• Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18
  The psalmist asks, “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:12-13). This “cup of salvation” points to the Eucharistic chalice, a theme that resonates with the institution of the Eucharist later in the liturgy.
• Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
  Paul recounts the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took 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’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Paul emphasizes that this act proclaims Christ’s death until He comes again, linking the Eucharist to the Paschal Mystery.
• Gospel: John 13:1-15
  John’s Gospel focuses on the washing of the feet rather than the institution of the Eucharist (which is covered in the Synoptic Gospels and Paul’s letter). Jesus, “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,” rises from the table, takes a towel, and washes the disciples’ feet, saying, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:3, 14-15). This act of humility sets the tone for the priesthood and the Eucharistic life of service.

Reflection on the Washing of the Feet

The washing of the feet, or Mandatum, is a central ritual of the Holy Thursday liturgy, performed after the homily. The priest, wearing a white alb and often a white apron, washes the feet of 12 individuals (traditionally men, though Pope Francis expanded this to include women and non-Catholics in 2016), symbolizing Christ’s act of humility. The hymn Ubi Caritas—“Where charity and love prevail”—is sung, emphasizing the love that underpins this act.

This ritual is a profound lesson in servant leadership. Jesus, the King of Kings, kneels before His disciples, performing a task reserved for the lowest servants. Peter’s initial resistance—“You shall never wash my feet” (John 13:8)—mirrors our own pride, our reluctance to accept God’s humbling love. But Jesus insists, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me” (John 13:8), showing that true discipleship requires vulnerability and acceptance of Christ’s service. The washing of the feet challenges me to ask: How do I serve others? Am I willing to humble myself, to “wash the feet” of those I’d rather avoid—those who annoy me, those who differ from me, those I deem “beneath” me? Jesus’s example is a call to love without limits, a love that stoops low to lift others up.

The Institution of the Priesthood

Holy Thursday also commemorates the institution of the priesthood, which is intrinsically tied to the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, when Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24), He entrusts the apostles with the authority to celebrate the Eucharist, making them the first priests of the New Covenant. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) explains, “The ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood… It guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church” (CCC 1547).

The washing of the feet underscores the nature of this priesthood—it’s not about power but service. As St. Augustine wrote, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Sermon 340, citing Matthew 20:28). Priests are called to embody this servant leadership, offering their lives in service to the faithful, particularly through the celebration of the Eucharist. On Holy Thursday, this connection is palpable as the priest, acting in persona Christi, washes feet and consecrates the Eucharist, mirroring Christ’s actions at the Last Supper.

The Institution of the Holy Eucharist

The Eucharist is the heart of the Holy Thursday liturgy, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. Paul’s account in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, echoed in the Synoptic Gospels (e.g., Luke 22:19-20), records Jesus’s words: “This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” The Mass of the Lord’s Supper emphasizes this gift, with the Eucharistic Prayer recalling Christ’s self-offering. After Communion, the Blessed Sacrament is processed to the altar of repose, where the faithful adore it, recalling Jesus’s agony in Gethsemane and His plea, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40).

The Eucharist is not a mere symbol but the source and summit of Christian life (CCC 1324). It’s a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice—“Do this in remembrance of me”—but also a real participation in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The Roman Missal’s Eucharistic Prayer I states, “We offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice,” underscoring that the Eucharist re-presents (makes present) Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross (CCC 1366).

Why the Eucharist Is Literally Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity

The Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence—that the Eucharist is literally Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—is rooted in Scripture, Church teaching, and the testimony of the Church Fathers. Let’s explore this truth:

• Scripture:
  Jesus’s own words are unequivocal. In John 6:53-55, He declares, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” When many disciples leave, scandalized, Jesus doesn’t soften His words but doubles down, asking the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67). At the Last Supper, He states, “This is my body… This is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28), not “This represents my body.” The Greek word estin (is) denotes a literal identity, not a metaphor. Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”
• Church Teaching:
  The Council of Trent (1551) defined the Real Presence: “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained” (Session 13, Canon 1). The Catechism affirms this, stating that through transubstantiation, “the whole Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine” (CCC 1374). Transubstantiation means the substance of bread and wine changes into Christ’s substance, while the accidents (appearance, taste, etc.) remain (CCC 1376).
• Church Fathers:
  The early Church consistently taught the Real Presence. St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) wrote, “The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His goodness, raised up again” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 6:2). St. Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD) explained, “We do not receive these as common bread or common drink; but just as our Savior Jesus Christ… became flesh, so we have been taught that the food consecrated by the word of prayer… is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus” (First Apology, 66). St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350 AD) instructed catechumens, “Do not, therefore, regard the bread and wine as simply that; for they are, according to the Master’s declaration, the body and blood of Christ” (Catechetical Lectures, 22:6).

The Real Presence isn’t a medieval invention but a belief held from the earliest days of the Church. The Eucharist is Christ Himself because He said so, and the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has faithfully preserved this truth (John 16:13).

Tying It All Together: A Call to Love and Service

Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025, invites us into the heart of Christ’s love. The readings—Exodus’s Passover, Paul’s account of the Eucharist, and John’s washing of the feet—reveal a God who serves, sacrifices, and gives Himself entirely. The washing of the feet calls us to humility, the institution of the priesthood reminds us of Christ’s presence through His ministers, and the Eucharist offers us Christ Himself—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Reflecting on this day, I’m struck by the unity of these mysteries. The Eucharist, as Christ’s real presence, isn’t just a gift to receive but a call to become what we receive. As St. Augustine said, “You are what you have received… Be a member of the body of Christ so that your ‘Amen’ may be true” (Sermon 272). The same Christ who washed the disciples’ feet gives Himself in the Eucharist, and through the priesthood, He continues to serve us. We’re called to respond with love—love that humbles itself, love that serves, love that trusts in the reality of Christ’s presence.

Holy Thursday challenges me to live Eucharistically—to let Christ’s self-gift transform me into a servant for others. As I adore the Blessed Sacrament at the altar of repose, I hear Jesus’s words: “I have given you an example” (John 13:15). May we follow that example, becoming bread broken for the world, just as Christ is for us.

Sources:

• Roman Missal, Third Edition. 2011.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). 1992.
• Council of Trent, Session 13. 1551.
• St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans. c. 110 AD.
• St. Justin Martyr, First Apology. c. 150 AD.
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures. c. 350 AD.
• St. Augustine, Sermon 272. c. 400 AD.
• Bible (RSV): Exodus 12:1-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-15, etc.