Worrying about the future is a waste of time when Christ is with you.
JESUS' PARTING GIFT
It was at the Last Supper that Our Lord gave us His Body and Blood. He began the meal by saying, “I have longed to eat this Passover with you.” Imagine that! Jesus, who is God, longing to share this meal with us! How much do we long to be with Him?
As Our Lord prepared for His final meal with the Apostles, what was on His mind? He was about to abolish the Old Covenant and establish the New, leaving Himself with us in the Holy Eucharist. He would ordain His first priests, entrusting them with the continuation of His mission. He knew the suffering that awaited Him the next day. He would pay the ultimate price of love, dying on the cross to save us from the power of sin and Satan. As Man, He was deeply troubled and afraid. Yet still, His evening was full of love and purpose.
But even for Jesus, things did not go as smoothly as planned. The Apostles were squabbling, arguing over who among them was the greatest. After three years in His company, you might think they would have understood better. Yet, with so much on His heart, Jesus remained patient. He didn't rebuke them harshly - He chose instead to show them the meaning of true greatness.
In those days, it was customary upon entering a house to have one’s feet washed - roads were dusty or muddy, and sandalled feet quickly became dirty and uncomfortable. Water jars and towels were placed at the entrance, and a servant or family member would perform the task.
But Jesus and His friends had no servants. On this night, when no one offered to do it, Jesus Himself got up, took the towel and basin, and did what no one else would do. He washed their feet. Then He asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call Me Teacher and Lord and rightly so. If I, then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Why did Jesus give this lesson of brotherly love just before giving us Himself in the Holy Eucharist? Because He wanted to teach us that love of God and love of neighbour must always go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. He is saying, in effect, “How strange it is to receive Me in Holy Communion while refusing to love your neighbour!” It is not about liking everyone, it’s about loving, forgiving, and being caring, even to those who may be cold, distant, or unkind.
Jesus isn’t asking us to live in each other’s pockets. He knows we can’t always change those who are cold to us, or who never smile or speak kindly. But He asks us to be gentle, to be loving, to serve, not to dominate. Christianity is not about saying, “I am the greatest,” but about living the truth, “I serve.”
How often do non-Catholics or lapsed Catholics say, “Look at them going to church, receiving Communion and then gossiping, backbiting, and cheating their neighbours!” That is a terrible scandal, and the very thing Jesus wanted to prevent. That’s why He gave us this profound lesson in humility and charity before He instituted the Eucharist.
Then Jesus gave us something no other person could: His Real Presence under the signs of bread and wine. He knew that after His Ascension we would have no physical presence to cling to. So He took bread in His hands and said, “This is My Body.” Then He took the chalice and said, “This is My Blood. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In that moment, He left us His sacramental presence for all time.
Do we really appreciate what He gave us? If we fail to receive Holy Communion when we can, will our greatest regret in Heaven be this: “Lord, You were there, so close, so generous. How cold, how foolish I was not to receive You whenever I could. I could have begun Heaven on earth and I missed the chance!”
Lord Jesus, our hearts overflow with gratitude for what You did for us that night. Thank You for Your love and friendship, for the vivid lesson in brotherly love, and for the incomparable gift of Your Eucharistic presence. Forgive our coldness and forgetfulness. Open our hearts to love You more deeply, and to make You the very centre of our lives.
I am a Capuchin Franciscan priest who wants to spread the Gospel of the Lord.
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