HOLY THURSDAY THE LORDS SUPPER
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
3 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;
4 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. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;
6 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.
7 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.
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 11 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. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite 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. 13 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 smite the land of Egypt. 14 “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.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 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.” 25 In the same way also 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.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
John 13:1-15
1 Now before 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.
2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.
5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. 6 He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.”
9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
10 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 every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not all clean.” 12 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 to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.
MEDITATION
THE EXODUS account describes a mandated ceremony to be observed by all the Jewish people. Notice the attention to detail with regard to the date; choice of animal;cooking method;eating mode; priestly attire and finally the purpose of this ‘haggadah’ festival which concludes with the redemption or deliverance of the people.
The ‘Passover’ festival is memorial celebration that was ‘made present’ and not merely a historical event of the time when God passed over the Jews who were unaffected by the plagues in Egypt.This celebration ends with four cups of wine that were to be consumed which signified the people’s: release from bondage; their deliverance-being set free; redemption and God claiming the people for Himself.
St PAUL writes to the Corinth community in a way that suggest that what he is about to teach and affirm, was not of his making, but was “received” from the Lord.Paul describe the mode, words- the liturgical format- and content that must be strictly adhered to, which is the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection that the people must celebrate each day. Paul never journeyed in person with Jesus, neither did he receive a transcript. What he taught was in fact ‘given to him’ by the Apostles by word of mouth which is referred to as ‘Sacred Tradition!’
St JOHN the Apostle was a participative eyewitness at the Last Supper, a festival where bread and wine were offered as a memorial of Christ’s death, resurrection and the deliverance of the apostles from sin. John writes in the third person highlighting the love of the Lord for the twelve chosen Apostles who represented the Kingdom of God, the Church. Our Lord fulfills His love by giving His flesh and blood to His Apostles as a memorial of His ever Presence. This event signals the genesis of a New Covenant (New Testament) with the Eucharistic Celebration that perfect the Old Covenant which is observed by the Church twenty-four seven days a week around the world.
Our Lord also uses this most auspicious event to submit Himself in the form of a servant when He goes on bended knee to reverently honor the twelve beginning with Judas and seemingly ending with Peter. Despite our Lord’s awareness that Judas was to betray Him,He exemplified what He taught when He said we must love our enemies and turn the other cheek! Jesus emphasized that a “teacher” ought not to lord over his students to demean them but to show love and humility.
Judas was presented with another opportunity to come clean before our Lord touched and washed his feet, but he obstinately refused to submit to Christ Jesus! Peter on the other hand recognized his own wretchedness and unworthiness by demanding that our Lord washed his hands and head which imply that our actions and thoughts or consciousness needs purification from sin! Finally, it is very clear that our Lord set the standard and mode of practicing the faith that the Apostles ought to enact.
Stubbornness and obstinacy to not depart from our sinfulness and wickedness are barriers that shall shipwreck our salvation. May we use the mandated Paschal Triduum as an opportunity of God’s grace, to be present each day at church inaugurated on Holy Thursday followed by Good Friday and Easter Saturday/Sunday which shall bring to completion our spiritual and actual observance and submission to the Passover, Passion and Resurrection of the Lord, resulting in our being washed clean when we receive His body and blood for our redemption!
LET US PRAY:Psalms 116:12-13,15-18
12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, I am thy servant; I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
catholicwitnessct@gmail.com Henry R SYLVESTER
Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast
Morning Coffee Meditations. 
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