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April 18, 2025This evening, we celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper of Jesus, remembering the institution of the Eucharist, which introduces us to the Easter Triduum and accompanies us to the heart of the mysteries of our faith.
The Eucharist is the sacrament that makes the Church. Without the Eucharist there is no life for the holy people of God. It is the sacrament of love; it is the sacrament of the presence of Christ who remains with us in the humble form of the broken bread and the cup shared for us.
The Eucharist is the sacrament of unity among all the faithful in Christ. In the second reading, Saint Paul faithfully reported to us the words of the institution of the Eucharist that the priest repeats in every Mass. It is the memorial of his body given and his blood poured out for the salvation of the world. What does it mean to celebrate a memorial? We do not simply remember an event from the past, like we share in our families a memory of something that happened in our youth. In the memorial the event that happened in the past happens again today.
Even today Jesus is truly among us and breaks the bread for the life of the world, he renews the gift of his life for us. And by nourishing ourselves with the Eucharist we conform ourselves more and more to Christ and we form more and more one body.
But why does Jesus institute the Eucharist just before dying on the cross? In fact, without the Eucharist, we cannot understand the meaning of Jesus’ death. Jesus explains to us that the cross is not a failure that happened by chance. The cross is not a senseless event, which Jesus suffers against his freedom.
The Eucharist shows us that Jesus freely gives his life in obedience to the heavenly Father for our liberation from evil. In the words of Jesus at the Last Supper we can see clearly that he gives himself willingly for us. He offers his body and his blood in the sign of bread and wine. It is not man who takes Jesus' life, it is he who freely gives it to us as a supreme act of love.
Let's take a further step: What exactly happens in the Eucharist? How does it connect with our daily life? Here we must remember the first reading from the book of Exodus that tells us about the Passover of the Jews: it is the sacrifice of the lambs that marked the passage of God who frees his people from the slavery of Egypt. Easter in fact means passage. The Eucharist brings to completion the sacrifice of the lambs that the ancient people had celebrated for liberation.
Christ does not free us from external slavery, from the dominion of one people over the others. The sacrifice of Christ frees us from the deepest evil, from internal slavery, and makes us capable being loved and to love. It frees us from death. This is why before we approach the Eucharist the priest says: behold the lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the true paschal lamb. The Eucharist is the sacrament of our liberation from evil, from division, from hatred, from the sin that paralyzes our hearts and wounds our relationships. The Eucharist is the love that heals, restores and liberates. The Eucharist makes our Easter possible, moving from slavery to freedom.
But how does this change materialize for us? Here the Gospel that we heard comes to help us. John tells us that before celebrating the feast of Easter, Jesus surprised his disciples, filling them with amazement: he put on an apron and began to wash their feet, performing a very humble act. But how is it possible that the son of God, the Master and Lord, acts like a servant? The disciples are completely surprised and astonished by this behavior: so much so that Peter at first refuses to let his feet be washed. But Jesus warns him: ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ Then Peter immediately changes his mind: ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’
The disarming humility of Jesus overwhelms us and changes our hearts. He loved us to the end. Not only did he humble himself by becoming man, but he humbled himself by washing our feet and finally dying on the cross. And if the Son of God humbled himself like this, what should be our response? Serve one another in love! He gave us the example so that we can follow him. Loving and serving is no longer an act of slavery but an expression of free people, liberated from evil.
Dear brothers and sisters, by celebrating the Eucharist we are introduced to the mystery of love that humbles itself and serves. Let us welcome this divine love for us and serve one another as people free to love.
The word Eucharist means thanksgiving. This evening, we thank God for the gift of his son Jesus who gave his life for us, we thank for all the gifts and ask to be able to imitate Christ in love so that our whole life may be an eternal Eucharist, an eternal thanksgiving.
May Mary, mother of divine love, help us to welcome Christ Jesus into our hearts, help us to love.
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