Ex.
12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Jn. 13:1-15
It is the desire of man to
leave behind something to commemorate his achievements. Thus after every
great victory the Greek constructed trophy in the battle field. ." In ancient Greece, trophies reflected
victory in war, and were created on the battlefield at the place where the
enemy had been defeated. These trophies included captured arms and standards,
and were hung upon a tree or a large stake made to resemble the figure of a
warrior. They were inscribed
with details of the battle and were dedicated to gods. The deliberate destruction of a trophy was considered a sacrilege since it was given in thanks and tribute to a god.
Among unique memorials of
Rome Mausoleum of Augustus stands out. This large tomb complex was one of the
first projects started by Roman Emperor Augustus after his victory over
combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC. Mausoleum construction
was completed in 28 BC. This large tomb complex was 295 feet in diameter by 137
feet in height. Mausoleum had circular shape with concentric rings and a
conical roof upon which Romans set up a huge status of Augustus.
In the ancient world, every
emperor desired to leave something behind him as a memorial. But time and
people turned them into a place of ruins.
In the history of the world there
is only one King who could leave behind him a living monument. Only Jesus, the
King of Kings could achieve the impossible for the mortal kings. For the last
two thousand years He continues his physical presence among his people in the
Eucharist. Today we commemorate the great event of the establishment of
the Eucharist and the great principle of the King of Kings that Authority is
for service, and the concrete example set before us by washing the feet of His
disciples.
In human history all the
kings have been served by their attenders; and no king has ever served his
attenders. All the kings have been obeyed by their subjects, and no king was
commanded by his subjects. All the kings pronounced judgment on the subjects,
and no king allowed himself to be judged by his subjects. But it was not the
same with the King of Kings. He served His fellowmen. He washed the feet
of his disciples. He obeyed his subjects. He allowed Himself to be judged
by His creation. Thus He rose to a great heights and set very high standards
for His followers which can never be surpassed by any human being.
So today we commemorate
three great events. The establishment of Eucharist. The Establishment of
Priesthood and the revolutionary event of washing of the feet of His
disciples.
At the Last Supper Jesus
put an end to the Old Covenant of the Law that God the Father had made with the
Jewish people and the New Covenant of grace was made. The New Covenant of God
with mankind opened the door to the Kingdom of Heaven to all those who have faith
in Jesus Christ and receive the Sacrament of Baptism. [Jn. 3:5, 7] From the
event of the Last Supper, we learn that all believers are called to actively
participate in the celebration of the Holy Mass and to receive the Sacrament of
the Holy Communion in remembrance of Him.
This privilege of celebration
of the Eucharist is entrusted to the weak human beings. This is a gift
that is envied even by the angels. The Holy writings describe that thousands of
Cherubim and Seraphim stand at the feet of Jesus to carry out His commands. But
none of them is given the great gift of celebrating the Eucharist and pronounce
the words of Jesus. Jesus comes down and dwells with us when the priest
pronounces the words, “This is my body” and “This is my blood.” Along with
the priests as every Christian has a share in this gift, a Christian must have
certain qualities. During today's reading from the Gospel of John, [Jn.
13:1-15] we learn about them. We must be humble. We must be ready to sacrifice
our valuable time towards the needs of others. We must shine in love towards
others as Jesus did when He have His life for us. We must serve others as
Christ did when He humbled Himself to serve His disciples by washing their
feet. Jesus' message to us today is that we should serve others as true
Christians. But today we live in a world where “Everyone thinks of changing the
world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Says Leo Tolstoy.
The example set by Jesus
demands us to begin. “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do
something.” After long days of fasting and prayer we have come back to
the Lord’s Table with an open receptive mind. It is the right time to begin
anew. Or contribution may be insignificant. But they are our contributions.
Edmund Burke says, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing
because he could only do a little.” “Dare to reach out your hand into the
darkness, to pull another hand into the light.” Teaches Norman B. Rice
Jesus is ever present with
us to assist us in our attempts to begin to be good. “Being good is
commendable, but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful.” So,
let us begin to do good as we can.
Satish