Holy Thursday
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
Written by Margaret Cressionnie
Holy Thursday has always held a significance to me that I haven’t known how to articulate. There are so many elements that I love, and every Lent I wait in anticipation of going to mass on Holy Thursday, yet I struggle to put words to why this is my favorite part of Holy Week. What hit me is the significance and message behind every action of Jesus in this critical time before His Passion. The intimacy of God’s humble, selfless love that bends to serve and wash the feet of His closest followers. His body offered freely and entirely for us whenever we choose to partake in the mass and receive Him under the appearance of bread.
There are so many beautiful elements of Holy Thursday, and one of the most profound and essential for us Catholics is the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist. Eucharist means thanksgiving, which is no coincidence. The greatest gift we can give to Christ in this Triduum is our gratitude for His love and our willingness to remember and remain with Him. Remember His sacrifice poured out for us that we would be forgiven, and His body broken and crushed so we might have life anew. Are you going to be a bystander observing His Passion, or will you remain close to Him at the cross in gratitude for His love that He freely gave despite our sins and rejection of Him?
Jesus offers the gift of Himself as His body is taken, blessed, broken, and given for each of us. What may have seemed like an ordinary Passover meal, God intended to offer an image of humble self-gift that we can access any time we participate in mass to experience a taste of heaven. We have good reason to hope and persevere on this side of heaven with the gift of the Eucharist. Just as the bread is taken, blessed, broken, and given during the consecration, we ourselves are too as we are chosen and blessed by God, loved in our brokenness, and called to give of ourselves to others.
As we enter into the Triduum, I invite you to enter into deeper gratitude as you imagine walking every step with Jesus. Will you be intentional to remain close to Jesus with thanksgiving as you accompany Him?
Margaret Cressionnie is a mental health counselor in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. She loves golden retrievers, vanilla lattes, sunflowers, and talking about Jesus and mental health. Follow her on Instagram and say hey!
Pray with today’s psalm.