SEVENTEENTH LESSON
Ceremonies of Maundy Thursday
"Jesus, knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to his Father; having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end."—ST. JOHN 13:1.
My dear children, today the Church celebrates the anniversary of the institution of the sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist, and, in remembrance of this most precious gift, which we owe to our Lord's bounteous love, the Church sets aside, at least for a short time, all the sad memories of the Passion.
The morning service begins by high Mass, which is sung with great pomp and solemnity in remembrance of the institution of divine Eucharist. The Priests quit their mourning vestments, and sing once more the joyful canticle Gloria in excelsis, which has not been sung since the beginning of Lent. Our Lord's Passion cannot, however, be forgotten, and during Mass the prayers still recall his sufferings. At the Mass the Priest consecrates two hosts instead of one, because it is not the custom to say Mass on Good Friday; this second host, set aside for the communion of the morrow, is carried in solemn procession by the clergy to an altar prepared for its reception.
This altar, my children, is generally in a darkened chapel, at the end of which, surrounded by a great number of lights, is placed a tomb representing the holy sepulchre; there each of us will go, in the evening, to adore our divine Saviour, dead and buried.
On Maundy Thursday, after morning service, the tabernacles are to be seen wide open and empty; the altars, stripped of their usual ornaments, are then washed by a Priest. This last ceremony represents the deep humility of Jesus Christ, who before the last supper did not disdain to lower himself even to washing the feet of his Apostles, to show them and us how necessary it is to purify our hearts with great care, when we prepare for communion.
In most churches, and particularly in cathedrals, a custom prevails, which reminds us most touchingly of this ceremony of the washing of feet. The Bishop or Priest, following the example of our Lord, kneels down before a certain number of poor people and washes their feet; according to another old custom, which for a long time was prevalent in France, my children, the king, divesting himself of the pomp with which he is generally surrounded, condescended, on Maundy Thursday, to wash the feet of thirteen poor children, and to wait on them himself at table, during the meal his bounty had prepared for them.
But let us return to the affecting recital of the Passion. Our sole occupation during the whole of this sad week should be to read it, to meditate over it, to let it penetrate into our hearts, remembering above all that it is for love of us, and for the sake of our salvation that Jesus Christ condescended to bear such insults, and to endure such excruciating pain.
Judas had then resolved to betray his divine Master, and only waited for a favorable opportunity to deliver him up to his enemies. It was now the day of the Azymes, and the disciples, following our Saviour's commands, prepared all that was necessary to celebrate the Pasch, and in the evening Jesus sat down to supper with his twelve Apostles: "With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer" did he say unto them; then he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it them, saying: "Take ye and eat: this is My Body." Then taking the chalice he gave thanks: and gave it to them, saying: "Drink ye all of this. For this is My Blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sins."
Thus was instituted the holy sacrament of the Eucharist, in which Jesus Christ, carried away by his love for men, goes to the extent of giving himself to them as food. On this day, my dear children, the Apostles received Holy Communion for the first time. Judas feared not to partake of it, though he had already made up his mind to betray Jesus Christ. This base profanation only hardened him the more in his crime, and you all know the dreadful end of that wretched man. Such an example, my children, ought to make us fear to draw near the holy table when we are not well prepared: there cannot be a greater crime, or a more dreadful misfortune, than that of a sacrilegious communion.
After the last supper, our Lord led his disciples to Mount Olivet. Then Jesus said to them: "You shall all be scandalised on my account this night, for it is written: I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." Which means, that which is about to happen to me, will shake the faith you have in me, and you will forsake me cruelly. "Lord," answered Peter, "I am ready to follow thee unto prison, even unto death." But Jesus said to him: "Peter, I say to thee, that on this night, before the cock crow twice, thou wilt deny me thrice."—Alas, my children, this happened but too truly!
Jesus, coming with his Apostles to a country place called Gethsemane, at the foot of the mountain, said to them: "My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Sit you here till I go yonder and pray.—And going a little further he fell upon his face praying and saying: Father, if it be possible. let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done:—And there appeared to him an Angel from heaven strengthening him. And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood trickling down upon the ground."
O my children, let us pause here awhile to contemplate this dreadful agony, Jesus Christ, whom in our afflictions we call upon to help us, suffers today himself more than we have ever suffered. He who consoles us in our sorrows, is himself in need of consolation. No doubt, the knowledge of the tortures awaiting him increases his cruel anguish; but it is particularly caused by the thought of our sins, by that of our ungratefulness. He foresaw, my children, that to many of his creatures his death would be useless, and it was this that made him feel sad with the sadness of death. Alas! let us also be sad; let us weep over our sins; let us mingle our tears with those of the divine Saviour. You will easily understand, my dear children, that Jesus Christ was tortured with this agony of his own free will, and because he consented to experience to the utmost the bitterest anguish our poor nature would bear. He did that in order that the remembrance of his sufferings might alleviate the sufferings of the afflicted, the remembrance of his resignation might put a stop to their murmurings; and if he received consolations of an Angel, was it not to teach us that it is to Heaven alone we must look for consolation?
Our Lord came back to his disciples and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. And as Jesus Christ was seeking to encourage them, behold there came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude armed with swords and clubs: and he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying: "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he, hold him fast." And forthwith coming to Jesus he said: "Hail, Rabbi." And he kissed him. And Jesus said to him: "Friend, wherefore art thou come?"—Must not Judas have had a heart harder than a stone not to have fallen down at his Master's feet on hearing this kind and loving word, my friend!
... Alas! and you, dear children, when you are on the point of doing wrong, of yielding cowardly to temptation, of betraying the fidelity you owe to God, do you not hear the voice of our Lord saying to you inwardly: "My friend! my child! what art thou going to do? Why art thou here?"
The soldiers, seizing hold of Jesus, led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and ancients were assembled. Then the disciples, leaving him, fled, Peter alone followed him from afar off, even to the court of the high priest, and going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end. And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witnesses against Jesus. But where could any be found? Our Lord had passed amongst them doing good; the little children, the aged, the sick, all had shared his bounties: all these could bless him; but to accuse him, none could be found, and they were obliged to call in false witnesses. Jesus did not condescend to say a word in his defense; only, when asked by the high priest if he were the Christ the Son of the living God he answered: "Thou sayest it." At these words, the priests exclaimed, "He has uttered blasphemy —what need of witnesses?" Then began for Jesus the numerous, cruel tortures of his Passion. They spat on his face, beat him mercilessly, loaded him with humiliations and insults.
Peter meanwhile remained outside, and a servant maid being there asked him if he were not a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth; and he denied it three times, just as Jesus had prophesied. At that moment the cock crew. Our Lord turning, looked at Peter, and this look of kindness, my children, made him remember the words of Christ. He wept bitterly over his sin: he not only wept over it, but resolved to make atonement for it, was forgiven, and became, as you all know, the head of Jesus Christ's church. Ah! may we also, when God reproaches us with our faults, either by timely warning, or by some good promptings of our heart, may we then, like Saint Peter, repent, weep, and become at last worthy of God's forgiveness and of his mercy
Then, being enabled to avoid relapsing, we will enjoy the peace of a good conscience during life; we will have confidence and consolation on our deathbed; and we will receive, after death, the eternal rewards promised to true penitents,
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