On Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday because of Christ's command (mandatum in Latin) that we should love one another with a demanding, even a demeaning love, as crouching to wash the feet of faithless friends who will abandon you in your darkest hour. But there is much more to the washing of the feet than just our love for one another in service. The washing of the feet is all about the priesthood of Jesus Christ and those whom He has called to share in that priesthood in order to continue Jesus’ healing and salvific work in the world.

It's important to know that Priests in the Old Testament were ordained by the pouring of a special oil, over the head and the hands; the oil contained the power of God in order to make ordinary men, priest of the most high God. Each time they enter into the temple area reserved for priest, because it had the Altar of Holocaust, they had to washed. Only priests could offer the sacrifices of the Old Covenant and only priests that washed, purified, could enter into the temple area where the sacrifices were offered.

As Jesus washed the feet of the twelve, they understood that something more than just a gesture of humility was going on. It was humility yes, Divine Humility; but even more so, Jesus was about to take his first twelve "seminarians" and teach them how to offer Holy Mass. And by the Laying on of His Hands, Jesus was to make them His priests during the first Holy Mass offered in that upper room during this night, Holy Thursday night. By doing so, Jesus, gave them His own divine power to make truly present Jesus and His sacrifice throughout the ages in order to lead men and woman into communion with the Blessed Trinity.

Jesus would now confer the Sacraments of the New Covenant on God’s people by, through and with the hands of the Priest. This is by the way, Peter says to Jesus, why stop at our feet, why not wash our heads and hands as well. Peter understood this washing of the feet to be connected to the priesthood. He knew that Jesus was about to make them priests of the New Covenant. (This why only men should have their feet washed and why we should encourage our young boys to serve at the altar).

So today is the day that we celebrate Jesus instituting those whose feet he washed, as priests of New Covenant, giving them His own divine power in order to change ordinary bread and wine, through the miracle of Transubstantiation, into His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—is very self. Jesus also gave them the power, His own power to offer anew to His Father throughout the ages, His once and for all saving sacrifice which He was about to undergo in Jerusalem.

By saying to His Apostles, "Do this in commemoration of me," and by the laying on of the hands, Jesus instituted the Holy priesthood, without which there can be no Eucharist and so no possibility of us reaching heaven—“unless you eat my body…!” The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass literally represents, that is make present again and again, in a sacramental way (that is really present under the appearance of sacramental signs), the once and for all sin-forgiving and life-giving Sacrifice of Christ and its power to save us. We for our part must have faith in order to receive its life-saving grace.

This is the deepest meaning of service that Jesus spoke to the twelve. They as the new priests of the new and everlasting covenant, along with the priests to come, were to serve the people of God by providing them with the very Sacrament of salvation—The Holy Mass. It is the Holy Mass which makes present truly before and for the people of God, Jesus own self-same sacrifice of Calvary and His truly body, blood, soul and divinity. More than just offering the Holy Mass, the first twelve priest and every one ordained after them were supposed to, in imitation of the Master, lay down their lives in order for Jesus to continue His work of redemption through them.

And so every priest must identify himself with Jesus as he offers such a sublime sacrifice. Every priest must be willing to walk the way of sorrows with Jesus; every priest must be willing to be hung on that cross, if he is to share in the fruits of the sacrifice of Jesus that he offers on a daily basis. How weak we priest are; how can we walk beside Jesus; how can we avoid leaving his side on his path to Calvary as the twelve did, except for John. For sure every priest needs the prayers, the support and the love of his people in order to follow the great High Priest, Jesus Christ to the cross in order to save His people.

If a priest does this with great love and holiness he will suffer at the hands of the faithless just as did the Great High Priest Jesus Christ, for the servant is not greater than the master (comment on our Holy Father's persecution). And sadly, and this is the great mystery of each priest and his personal, intimate, and mystical connection with the suffering and crucified Christ, he, the priest, will suffer at the hands of his own, for his own. The priest, if he is faithful, will suffer by the Church, for the Church. As Jesus came among His own and His own received Him not, so to the faithful priest. Oh how we need to pray for the priest.

While not all are called to the priesthood, all are called to live their live in imitation of Jesus, the Master. And so every person that attends Mass, must along with the priest, Sacrifice of himself in union with the Sacrifice of Jesus; every person must to must be willing to offer himself in sacrifice as well. This is the meaning of the service that Jesus speaks…No greater love is there than this….than a man lay down his life AT THE MASS for the sake of his friends. This is the true call of the laity of the Second Vatican Council.

In order to help us offer ourselves in love, Jesus continues to offer Himself to us and to give us Himself for our food. Jesus continues through the Sacred Priesthood to offer his life for us; Through the Sacred Priesthood He continues to feed us with his flesh and blood, to fill us and consume us with His love so that we can possess and be possessed by the God who is Love, becoming one with Him at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb which is the Holy Mass. We then can carry out our service to lead others, to evangelize others to Jesus Christ the head who comes to us in in the person of the Priest (in persona Christi et capitis).

Let us, tonight on Holy Thursday, thank God for the inseparable gifts of the Eucharist and the priesthood. Without the Eucharist there would be no priesthood and without the priesthood there would be no Eucharist; and without the Eucharist there could be no salvation.

The Eucharist is not a thing, “Dominus Est” “It is the Lord.” Let us Adore our Lord truly present in the Blessed Sacrament as He is carried in solemn procession, from the altar of repose to the place reposition which is the Garden of Gethsemane. Let us hear the Lord say to us as he said to his friends, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me." Let us spend time with Him truly present in the tabernacle on the eve of his passion and death—And when he says to us“ Could you not spend one hour with me?” Let us say in return, “Yes we can Lord, with the help of your grace for we love you truly present in the Holy Eucharist the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar!”

If we give Jesus our yes, our whole selves in love, even through we pass by way of the cross, we too will surely share in the victory and the Joy of His Resurrection.

Holy Mary, Mother of all priests, Mother of the Holy Eucharist, pray for us, pray for me....