[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to a special bonus episode of: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. In this special installment, we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Thursday of Holy Week, the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper.
I would also invite you to a very special milestone. In this podcast I am releasing my 100th episode and that episode will explore the readings that will be proclaimed at the Commemoration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday.
[00:00:45] This episode, our Holy Thursday episode, is entitled: Not All Are Clean, and these readings will show us a different view of the Last Supper. One that is not just about the meal, not just about betrayal, but that is - in reality - about the immense love of Jesus.
[00:01:06] As we journey through these readings, consider the following:
The Last Supper was where Jesus instituted the Eucharist - as momentous as that event is, the Last Supper is also at its heart about the great love Jesus had for his disciples, the great love that Jesus has for us, and his instruction that we are to share that love with others.
[00:01:35] So let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of Holy Week and the Sacred Paschal Triduum. May we enter into these mysteries with humility and profound gratitude so that, strengthened by them, we may love and serve others as Jesus commands us to do. We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:02:14] Our Gospel for Holy Thursday is always from John 13: 1-15.
[00:02:21] “[B]efore the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you will have no part in me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, ‘You are not all clean.’ When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, and 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.’”
[00:04:21] Chapters 13 - 17 of John's Gospel recount the events of the Last Supper. While John does include Judas' betrayal and Peter's denials, he does not include the Institution of the Eucharist.
Instead, John chose to focus on the washing of the feet. Remember, John's Gospel was the last Gospel to be written, dating somewhere around 90 AD and there were already other accounts of the institution of the Eucharist circulating by that time… the earliest record is in Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, written about 56 AD - that will be our Second Reading - after that Mark's Gospel was written about 60 A.D, followed by the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which both date to around 85 AD.
[00:05:17] So, it's not improbable to think that John may have chosen, quite intentionally, to feature the foot washing in his version of the Last Supper rather than the Institution of the Eucharist.
The church only allows for the celebration of one Mass in at the parish level on Holy Thursday. The lone exception to that proscription is for the celebration of the Chrism Mass by the diocesan bishop. According to the Roman Missal, the Chrism Mass should be celebrated, whenever possible, on the morning of Holy Thursday, but if that is not convenient for the diocesan clergy - another time during Holy Week is also acceptable.
[00:06:04] In my diocese, where there are two co-cathedrals, our bishop celebrates one Chrism Mass on Monday of Holy Week at one cathedral, and the other at the second cathedral, usually on Tuesday. Because the Last Supper established not only the Eucharist but the priesthood as well, the Chrism Mass gathers the priests and deacons of the diocese so that they can renew their promises of obedience and loyalty to the diocesan bishop.
[00:06:39] So, aside from the Chrism Mass, the only Mass that should be celebrated on Holy Thursday is the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. Unlike other Masses, however, that Mass does not actually end. There is no Final Blessing nor is there a formal Dismissal… instead, after Holy Communion is distributed, the Eucharist is transferred FROM the Altar of Sacrifice in the church TO an Altar of Repose located elsewhere - and the faithful are invited to remain to keep watch and to pray throughout the night.
[00:07:24] With all that in mind, let's break open our Holy Thursday Gospel…
“[B]efore the feast of Passover,”
Jesus’ actions will reshape how Christians understand the Passover - it will no longer only mean that the angel of Death passed over the dwellings of the Hebrews in Egypt, it will also come to mean that Jesus passed over from the death of his human body to eternal life and glory with his Father in heaven. And you will hear me talk about this more on Good Friday. But John's timeline is also different from the timeline found in the Synoptic Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels all say that the Last Supper was a Passover meal, a Seder supper.
John here clearly says, “before the feast of the Passover.”
“when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father,”
John means that the time had come for Jesus to accomplish the Father's plan for the salvation of all mankind through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
[00:08:41] “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
[00:08:47] We often think of “the end” as just meaning the end of Jesus' human Incarnate life - and that is part of it - but it's really more than that… it also means to the greatest EXTENT possible… in Jesus' case - not just humanly possible, but to the fullest extent possible in his divinity as well.
“And during supper,”
Again, the other Evangelists record that this was a Passover meal, but John's timeline is different and this is one of those times when it becomes very apparent. This would have been Jesus final meal with his disciples… but - according to John - it was not a Seder supper.
“when the devil”
The evil instigated by the devil stands in stark contrast to the love of Jesus.
[00:09:47] “the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray [Jesus],”
[00:09:56] Judas’ heart is full of betrayal; Jesus’ heart is full of love.
[00:10:04] “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,”
Jesus is in complete control of his own fate; everything that will happen to him happens because he allows it to.
[00:10:22] “and that [Jesus] had come from God and was going to God,”
Meaning that God the Father is both Jesus’ origin AND his destiny.
[00:10:35] “[Jesus] rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and tied a towel around himself.”
[00:10:41] By laying aside his human garments - his tunic and cloak - Jesus is laying down his human life symbolically before he does so in reality on the Cross.
[00:10:59] “Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.”
[00:11:09] Foot washing was considered a menial but necessary task in biblical times… when people walked everywhere in open sandals, feet would become quite filthy. When a host welcomed guests into his home, he would either offer water for people to wash their own feet or would arrange for a servant to perform that task. By taking on that role himself, the other disciples would have seen that as Jesus acting like a servant.”
“[Jesus] came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’”
[00:11:52] Peter is really sort of scandalized - he thinks such a humble task is inappropriate for Jesus and far below his station in life.
“Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.’”
[00:12:11] Those words illustrate a common theme that is woven throughout John's Last Supper narrative.
“Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’”
Peter often speaks rashly - usually with good intentions, but not always with a lot of forethought or understanding. Think of Matthew 16, when Jesus predicts his death at Caesarea Philippi and Peter says, “God forbid, Lord! This should never happen to you.” Peter got it wrong then - and he gets it wrong again here. But notice Jesus responds gently, but firmly, to Peter.
“If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.”
The NAB translates that as “you will have no inheritance with me” and Jesus is really saying that Peter is trying to dictate the terms of his own discipleship, but he can't do that, only Jesus can do that. And although Peter doesn't know it at the time, Jesus’ words actually highlight the connection between the foot washing and the Cross. Jesus is telling Peter that he must allow events to unfold according to God's plan, otherwise he (Peter) will not inherit any of the benefits.
[00:13:50] “Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!’”
[00:13:55] So Peter is Now on board 110%! Again, well intentioned, but a bit overboard.
“Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over;’”
The point of this exercise is not how much of the body Jesus washes, the point is in accepting what Jesus offers ON HIS TERMS… whether it means discipleship, Baptism, or the Cross. Peter had to learn to accept things on Jesus' terms, not his own… the same can be said of us. Jesus then says to Peter…
[00:14:46] “‘and you are clean, but not all of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, ‘You are not all clean.’”
Jesus knew that Judas was his betrayer… in fact, in Matthew's Gospel, when Judas is first named along with the other disciples, Judas is identified as the betrayer. And since Judas did not accept what Jesus offered to him - on Jesus' terms - because Judas made his own choice and went his own way, he will not receive the benefits of Jesus’ Cross. Again, the same thing can - and often should - be said of us!
[00:15:43] Jesus offers salvation to everyone, but not everyone accepts it… we can turn our backs on that gift.
“When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them,”
Jesus has just demonstrated for the disciples WHAT they will be doing, now he will explain WHY they will be doing it.
[00:16:13] “Do you know what I have done to you?”
The NAB translates that as “for you” - not “to you.” But the simple answer is – NO, the disciples don't understand what Jesus just did, they have no idea how important his actions really were, and they won't until they see him on the Cross and until they experience his Resurrection.
[00:16:41] “You call me Teacher and Lord;”
The disciples have acknowledged Jesus as Rabbi and Master, Teacher and Lord… all but Judas. Jesus then says…
“and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”
Meaning that it will become their responsibility to continue practicing the example of humble service Jesus just demonstrated for them, but he will show them an even greater example on the Cross.
[00:17:31] “For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Jesus will say that again - using slightly different words - in John 15… “love one another as I have loved you.” And the meaning of Jesus’ words and actions are that our willingness to serve others should extend even to the point of death, if necessary.
[00:18:04] We can't dictate the terms of our discipleship any more than Peter could. Jesus died for us and being his disciple means that we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for others. Again, at its center, the Last Supper is always about the great love Jesus had for his disciples, the great love that Jesus has for us, and his instruction that we are to share that love with others unconditionally!
[00:18:52] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14.
“The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ‘This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.’”
[00:21:26] This passage describes the institution of the Jewish Passover. God tells Moses and his brother Aaron what preparations the Hebrews are to make that will ensure they survive when the tenth plague sweeps across the land of Egypt. The tenth plague, as we were just reminded, was the death of all the first-born of both man and beast. God also instructed that this event should be observed as an annual memorial, which is why the Jewish people still observe the Passover each spring. So, let's listen as the Hebrews are told how to prepare for the first Passover…
“The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,”
The Hebrews were still being held in bondage by Pharaoh in Egypt.
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.”
[00:22:30] God is telling the Hebrews that the current month will be the first month in their liturgical or biblical calendar, a calendar they will use to mark the occurrence of various religious feasts and observances. The month referred to here in Exodus would have at the time been named Abib - however, that name was changed to Nisan during the Babylonian captivity. Now there is also a civil or business calendar which is different from the biblical or liturgical calendar; the first month of the civil year is Tishrei which is the seventh month of the liturgical or biblical calendar.
“Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.”
[00:23:51] These may seem like oddly specific instructions, but there really is a good reason for it. We won't hear it in this passage, but essentially it is to avoid unnecessary waste. There should be enough meat for everyone to be fed, but not so much that an excessive amount remains. It's not that God doesn't like leftovers - it's because the Hebrews would be leaving Egypt and there would be no way to preserve any meat left over from the meal. In fact, the instructions in verse 10 say that any leftover meat should be burned.
[00:24:32] “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;”
[00:24:40] We hear those words so often that we tend to allow them to just pass us by without any real thought. But let's look at them a little more deeply.
What is the significance of a lamb without blemish? Well, those words indicate purity and perfection. An imperfect sacrifice cannot atone for those who are themselves imperfect, therefore the sacrificial offering must be without obvious defect, better and more pure, than those who offer it.
Why should the lamb be a year old, though? Well, that would indicate the animal was fully grown but did not yet consume more resources than it will return.
[00:25:34] Then God specifies a male, why? Well, first we have to remember that there's history there! Way back at the beginning of the of the Book of Exodus surrounding Hebrew males. In chapter 1, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the male children born to Hebrew women… that didn't work because the midwives simply refused to do as Pharaoh ordered and then lied to him about it, so Pharaoh ordered his own people to throw any every male born to the Hebrews into the Nile… so there's history there. Then, we also have to keep in mind that each of the ten plagues visited by God upon Egypt was intended to target one of the deities in the Egyptian pantheon. The target of the tenth and last plague was the Egyptian god (and that's lowercase “g” god) Amun-Ra, the chief God in the Egyptian pantheon, which was depicted as a man with the head of a ram. So, since an Egyptian male figure was being targeted, the sacrifice should be male.
[00:26:49] Sheep or goats, however, always confounds us - because we tend to think of the Passover lamb, but God actually gave the Hebrews a choice… if they couldn't find an acceptable sacrifice among the sheep, then they could - hopefully - find one among the goats. Sheep and goats both have cloven hooves and both chew their cud - two characteristics that were required for an animal to be considered an acceptable sacrifice to God. That will eventually be codified in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.
[00:27:41] “and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,”
Those four days allowed sufficient time, after the animals were isolated from the rest of the flocks, for any blemish or sickness to manifest itself before the actual sacrifice took place.
[00:28:01] “when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.”
[00:28:09] According to how Hebrews measured time, that would have been the 9th hour or about 3 pm. For those of you that listened to my episode on the Passion narrative from Palm Sunday, you understand the import of that time, and we will hear that again on Good Friday as well.
[00:28:31] “Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them.”
[00:28:39] I have an image of what doorposts and lintels from biblical times might have looked like when they were stained with blood, and I will include that image in an Instagram post this week.
[00:28:50] There is something else we don't hear in this passage. it's actually in verse 22. But the Hebrews were instructed to spread the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and lintels with hyssop. Remember that detail - it will be significant in the Gospel on Good Friday.
“They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.”
[00:29:22] Unleavened bread is bread made without yeast - indicating that it should be made and consumed in haste - that there is no time to allow the yeast to do its work and the bread to rise before it's baked. Bitter herbs represent the bitter realities of slavery that the Hebrews endured in Egypt. Those are both still integral parts of a Seder meal.
“In this manner you shall eat it; your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste.”
[00:30:04] God is telling the Hebrews to eat as if they were preparing to leave quickly on a journey - because in truth, they were.
“It is the LORD's Passover.”
Meaning this is all part of God's plan.
[00:30:22] “For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the
first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.”
[00:30:41] That sentence reminds us that every one of the plagues had a two-fold purpose. They were intended to convince Pharaoh to allow God's people to leave Egypt, absolutely, but they were also a way from for God to remind the Hebrews that he alone was God (and that's capital “G” God) and that no other false deity could save the Hebrews or hold their loyalty. Remember, they had been living for generations in a land where the Egyptians worshiped an entire pantheon of false gods.
[00:31:30] “The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”
As Catholic Christians we understand that the Passover lamb - a full-grown, perfect, unblemished male killed at the 9th hour (or 3 pm) was a type - a prefigurement - of Jesus, the Paschal lamb. And as Catholic Christians, when we receive the blood of Christ in Holy Communion, that we too are marked with the blood of the lamb… we are marked with the blood that saves and nourishes us.
[00:32:27] “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.”
The Jewish people still observe the feast of Passover and still partake of a Seder meal every year. The true purpose of that feast is not to simply share a meal with family and friends… the true purpose of that feast is about making the events of the Exodus become real and present again - to understand and appreciate anew God's liberation of the Hebrews from the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.
[00:33:14] That is a type of anamnesis and anyone who listens regularly to this podcast should recognize that word! Every Catholic Christian should recognize that type of observance, that type of remembrance, and see within it a prefigurement of the anamnesis that takes place at every Catholic Mass!
[00:33:47] Remember that John is the only Evangelist that does not focus on the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper; all the Synoptics say that the Last Supper was a Passover meal.
[00:34:01] So, in the Institution of the Eucharist, Jesus told his disciples to: “do this in remembrance of me.” In other words, within the context of a Seder meal - where the participants would have already understood a type of anamnesis, a type of making something present - Jesus instructs his followers to extend that remembrance - to take the next step, if you will - and repeat his actions… recall his words… remember his sacrifice… as if it were actually happening - in a very real and substantial way - each time. And that is exactly what happens in the Eucharist at every Catholic Mass…
[00:35:01] We enter into that one moment in history and kneel in reverence before the Divine Son who gave his life for us, and we appreciate anew the divine love Jesus has for us. Jesus also tells us that we are to share that love with others… generously, extravagantly, and without restrictions or limits!
[00:35:37] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which for Holy Thursday is Psalm 116.
The origin of the refrain, however, is supposed to be a paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 10, and that refrain is:
“Our blessing cup is a communion with the blood of Christ.”
[00:35:57] Those words differ from all of the Catholic translations that I found. Those all say: “The cup of blessing which we bless is a participation in the blood of Christ.” The refrain we use on Holy Thursday, however, does correspond more closely to one of the Protestant translations that I have, which poses the question, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” That question is then converted into a statement which is more appropriate for the Psalm refrain in this instance.
[00:36:40] Now, I am aware that the express purpose of a paraphrase is to reword statements, often to provide greater clarity… and that is precisely where I take issue with that refrain. I think there's a disconnect between participation and communion, and I don't think - in a translation or in a paraphrase - that we can get to the concept of communion from the idea of participation. And that may be the problem… the difference between participation and communion may seem inconsequential… but I don't think inconsequential should ever be part of the conversation when we're talking about the Eucharist - as we are when we say the blood of Christ.
Participation simply means being present somewhere and taking part in something… Communion, on the other hand, indicates an essential bond, an intimacy, a physical and spiritual union that is much deeper than mere participation.
[00:38:13] I think the difference between the words participation and communion is as significant as the difference between the idea of the Eucharistic bread being a mere symbol versus the Catholic understanding that the bread, when consecrated, actually becomes the Person of Jesus Christ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
[00:38:39] So, I don't think that the Catholic translation could have been sufficiently paraphrased from participation to become communion in that refrain - and yes, I am fully aware of the irony that a Protestant translation adheres more closely to the Catholic understanding of Holy Communion than does a Catholic translation.
[00:39:08] The Protestant Bible in which I found that translation of 1 Corinthians 10 is the Geneva Bible, which was assembled in 1557 by a group of Protestant scholars and printed in Geneva, Switzerland - hence the name Geneva Bible. That translation became the primary Bible of 16th century English Protestants… people like William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, and John Donne.
[00:39:41] And as an interesting side note - the frontispiece of that Bible (a depiction of the Exodus) inspired Benjamin Franklin's initial design submission for the Great Seal of the United States. That design was rejected, as were many others, until the design depicting a bald eagle was finally adopted in 1782.
[00:40:08] Setting aside all historical trivia, here are the verses for our Psalm:
“What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.”
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, I am your servant; the son of your handmaid. You have loosed my bonds.”
“I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.”
[00:40:47] This Psalm is a Hymn of Thanksgiving. The Psalmist called upon the Lord in his time of need, and the Lord delivered him. Therefore, the Psalmist vowed to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice in return for God's mercy and deliverance. The blessing cup mentioned in the refrain is a tangible representation of a shared spiritual connection… it is a very real cup that was actually passed around to the members of a community, especially at a Passover Seder.
[00:41:25] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
[00:41:33] “[Brothers and sisters:] I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that 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 the chalice, after supper, saying, ‘This chalice 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 chalice, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
1 Corinthians is an Occasional Letter, written by Paul sometime around 56 AD, to address various problems that had arisen in the Christian community in Corinth during the nearly six years since his departure from that city. It was also written in Ephesus during Paul's Third Missionary Journey (which lasted from 53 to 58 AD), and it is the earliest written account we have of the Institution of the Eucharist. So, let's listen to Paul's description…
[00:42:50] “[Brothers and sisters:] I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you,”
[00:42:57] There is a tremendous amount of meaning packed into that one short phrase! Paul says he received something from Jesus - and we need to understand fully what he meant by that. He meant that, yes, he encountered the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and so received direct revelation from the person of Jesus… absolutely, but he also meant that he received knowledge of events in Jesus' life that occurred when he himself was not present - and the only way he could have received that knowledge was to have it shared with him by the Apostles who were present when those events took place.
[00:43:45] And the Last Supper, where Jesus Instituted the Eucharist, was certainly one of those occasions. But then Paul says he delivered that knowledge to the Corinthians - the NAB translation says: “handed on” and that's really a better translation. The Church derives the word TRADITION from the same Latin root that is translated as “handed on” in the NAB.
[00:44:12] That's significant because of how Catholic Christians understand Tradition (and that's capital “T” Tradition) meaning those fundamental pillars of our faith that have been transmitted in a living and organic manner down through the history of the Church.
[00:44:36] Now, that can indicate any number of things from the canon of Scripture in the Bible, to the doctrine of the Trinity, to the celebration of the Sacraments.
[00:44:48] And the Second Vatican Council was very clear about Sacred Tradition - in Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, the Church declared that “Sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church.”
[00:45:14] So, this is integral to what we as Catholic Christians understand about the Church. And what exactly was it that Paul received and handed on?
[00:45:30] “That 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 the chalice, after supper, saying, ‘This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, it in remembrance of me.’”
[00:46:03] That is Paul's version of the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper. Saint Paul and all three Synoptic Gospel authors record Jesus' words, and each author records them a bit differently. That's not unusual! If you ask ten different people, who all witnessed the same event, what they saw… you'll get ten slightly different answers!
[00:46:34] What is most important is that all of these accounts agree on the significant details. If you look at a Synopsis of the Four Gospels which compares the texts
side-by-side, you can see where the authors used exactly the same words and when they used slightly different words - which really helps us concentrate more on what is significant in Scripture rather than getting caught up in minor details that are less significant.
[00:47:05] For instance, when we compare Matthew and Mark side-by-side, Matthew says: “Now as they were eating” where Mark says: “And as they were eating.” Does it really matter that Matthew says now and Mark says and? Of course not!
[00:47:22] Then Paul goes on…
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
[00:47:32] In the NAB translation, all the Synoptic authors say cup, rather than chalice… and given what I just said, we have to ask, is that significant? In the grand scheme of things, the answer is no. It is fascinating, however, when we compare this text to a part of the Catholic Mass.
[00:47:53] Immediately following the Consecration, the priest announces The Mystery of Faith and the congregation responds with one of three formulaic replies. The second option is based on Paul's words from 1 Corinthians, and it says: “When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.” So, word choice in this instance becomes significant to the liturgy, although it remains less so to the original Scriptures.
[00:48:29] Regardless of how the words are recorded by the different authors of Scripture, the reality of the events of the Last Supper are undeniable… Jesus Instituted the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and humbly washed the feet of his disciples… giving them, and us, an example of loving service that we are to emulate.
[00:48:57] The Last Supper is more than just a shared meal, and it's about more than just friendship and betrayal. At its heart, it is about the great love that Jesus had for his disciples AND the great love that Jesus has for us.
[00:49:19] His instructions, however, are direct and uncompromising! We also must share his love with others, we must do for others as Jesus did for us.
[00:49:36] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you safe and secure in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.
