The Last Supper

So much happened on the first Holy Thursday, at the Last Supper, that it boggles the mind.  Most people think of it as is the occasion when first transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ took place.  That is indeed the case, but so much more happened. 

What else?  The priesthood was established.  When Christ asked his apostles to perform the act of transubstantiation in his memory, he, Catholics believe, ordained them as his first priests.  From that point on, the immediate successors of the apostles also became priests, and so on down to the present day, such that today we have priests ordained by bishops and the sacrament of the Eucharist offered through these priests at Mass.

What else?  St. John’s gospel, Chapters 13-17, provide full details.  Following are some examples.  1) He washed the apostles’ feet.  When Peter objected, Jesus told him that unless he washes him, “you will have no inheritance with me.”  The message for us seems to be:  Repent of your sins and let Jesus wash you clean.  2) He gave his apostles a new commandment:  to love one another.  He said “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Hate is not an option if you are a follower of Jesus!  3) He told them that in his father’s house, there are many dwelling places, and that he would prepare a place for us.  I’m striving to be holy so that I can have one of those places.  Wow!  4) He told them that no one can come to the Father except through him.  Apparently we need to have true faith in Jesus in order to be saved.  5) He made a statement about the Trinity for us, saying “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” and “…  I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”  This, even though he had always spoken of the Father as a separate person. 6) He told them that if we ask anything of the Father in his name, that he would do it.  Anything?  I’m thinking there may be other requirements …. like maybe nothing that we ask can be opposed to the Father’s will for us?

7) He promised to send us an “Advocate,” the Spirit of truth.  A few paragraphs later, he says that this Advocate is the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”  I take this to mean that we have been kept on the straight and narrow ever since by the Holy Spirit, and that the Protestant claim that his church was off-track for 1500 years just does not make sense.  8)  He said:  “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”  Speaking of off-track, the world is off-track as evidenced by the current wave of secularism.  No reason to fear, however.  Jesus has already conquered secularism!  9) Chapter 17 ends with what seems like a long diatribe with the Father.  Here are two example sentences:  “I do not pray for the world but for the ones you [the Father] have given me, because they are yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.”  And after asking the Father to consecrate these “ones you have given me” [us], he says this:  “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world my believe that you sent me.”  Those who will be believe in Jesus through their word?  Our word!  Jesus is apparently saying that we need to evangelize, to spread the word!  He prays that all may be one with the Father and the Son.  We can be, through his Church.

After that he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane where he was arrested and later tortured and crucified.

Good stuff!  All of this at the Last Supper!  Lord, help me to understand your word and to always give glory to you with my life.  Amen.  Happy Easter, everyone!