Holy Thursday
During the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper, one aspect of the liturgy that pertains to the question of human suffering and the doctrine of redemption is the Institution of the Eucharist. Louis Bouyer writes that Holy Thursday “renews that hour not only as any commemoration might revive a memory, it actually reproduces that hour so that we may have a part in it. In anticipating His Passion in this sign, Christ gave at the same time the sacrament that was to re-enact the Passion for his followers.” It is important to note that the institution of the Eucharist happened before Christ’s Passion. Jesus gave his followers his Body and Blood before the cross, showing that the Passion was not an outwardly imposed tragedy, but a freely embraced sacrifice. But what does that mean for believers? It shows the faithful that Jesus, fully God and fully man, knew what was about to occur, and chose to share a meal with his followers. During this meal, he instituted the Eucharist so that they could continue to be in communion with one another, even after his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. He willingly offers Himself on Holy Thursday in the breaking of bread and again on Good Friday on the cross.
Jesus is the model for what it means for Christians to sacrifice and to suffer for one another. Jesus shows humanity that to love also means to suffer. God the Father loved the world so much that He sent His only Beloved Son into the world so that humanity may be united with God eternally. It is out of love that Jesus travels to the cross, and out of love that he institutes the Eucharist so that humanity may share in that divine love over and over again, every time the Mass is celebrated.
While participating in the liturgy of the Eucharist, Bouyer writes that participation in the life of Christ grows, as “Neither is the liturgical mystery for man a convenient substitute for his own cross, the cross he must bear in his flesh while following Christ if he wishes any part in the glory acquired for the whole Mystical body.” On Holy Thursday, the congregation is reminded that they are called to offer their sufferings to God. The crosses they bear are to be carried and offered back to God, just as Jesus offered his upcoming sufferings to the Father on Holy Thursday.
The Son of God did not shy away from suffering. He walked towards it, freely and completely in order to be united with humanity in their suffering. This unification allows for humanity to reciprocate and unite their suffering to Him. This is how humanity’s suffering becomes redemptive, when it is united with Jesus’ self-gift. Jesus, on Holy Thursday knows that he must suffer and die to open the gates of Heaven. Knowing that his sacrifice would take place soon, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, the sacrament of divine love.
The Son of God did not walk away from suffering, as He knew it was the path to salvation. Humanity, as displayed in the liturgy of Holy Thursday, has to follow along this path as well, following the Savior to the cross on Good Friday.
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Louis Bouyer, The Paschal Mystery: Meditations on the Last Three Days of Holy Week (Cluny Media, 2022), 44.
Bouyer, The Paschal Mystery, 46.
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“That is the meaning of the act of the Last Supper, in which He instituted the Eucharist as the gratuitous gift of His life for His followers by His freely accepted death.”
Louis Bouyer, The Paschal Mystery: Meditations on the Last Three Days of Holy Week, pg. 42.
Prayer Resources
Consider closing your eyes and listening to "Ubi Caritas" by the Notre Dame Magnificat Choir. "Ubi Caritas" is a song typically sung during the preparation of the gifts during the Mass of the Lord's Supper. The words of the song, found in the description of the video, remind the listener of God's love for humanity, which is an apt reminder moments before the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
In Louis Bouyer's book, The Paschal Mystery: Meditations on the Last Three Days of Holy Week, there is a section for each Triduum liturgy. A significant portion of the information covered above comes from his section on the Holy Thursday liturgy, especially Chapter 3, "The Eucharist." Within this chapter, Bouyer discusses how the Institution of the Eucharist is celebrated at each Mass, but is remembered in a special way during Holy Thursday. The self-offering of Christ on Holy Thursday provides an example for believers to offer up their own sufferings to God by partaking in the Eucharistic Feast.
Chapter 3, "The Eucharist," is an excellent entry point into the liturgy of Holy Thursday. Read this chapter in order to grasp the beauty and significance of the Institution of the Eucharist.
God our Father,
we are gathered here to share in the supper
which Your only Son left to his Church to reveal his love.
He gave it to us when he was about to die
and commanded us to celebrate it
as the new and eternal sacrifice.
We pray that in this Eucharist
we may find the fullness of love and life.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer found here: https://columban.org/article/holy-thursday-prayer