On the night before He was betrayed, our dear Savior instituted the Holy Priesthood of the Catholic Church.  What a great gift!  The priest feeds us with the Holy Eucharist which nourishes our souls with supernatural Life; the priest forgives our sins, mends our spiritual wounds, in the  Holy Sacrament of Confession.  This Holy Thursday, let us consider these two great Sacraments and give thanks to God for giving such pearls to mankind.

First, let us know that the Holy Eucharist is the life of the soul; without this Food, none of us could live a spiritual life.

The Mosaic Law forbade the drinking of blood as that was considered the soul of the animal.  “Beware of this, that thou not eat the blood, for the blood is for the soul: and therefore thou must not eat the soul with the flesh.”(Deut. 12:23)   In the Law of Christ we are told to eat flesh and drink blood.  “Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.”  (Jn 6:54) 

And so now, every time we receive the consecrated Host, a divine infusion of life pours into our souls... making us more and more like unto Christ.  But beware!  He who receives this great sacrament must be a baptized Catholic, devoutly practice his faith, be aware of no serious sin on his soul, and know Whom he is receiving in the Holy Eucharist.  St. Paul warns, “whosoever shall eat this Bread or drink this chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord.” (1 Cor.11:27)

As long as a Catholic receives properly, however, he can be sure of receiving, if only incrementally, an increase of divine life into his soul.  As St. Augustine said, “Other food we eat becomes a part of us, but the Holy Eucharist changes us into Him.”  The more we receive Christ, the more we become like Christ.

Now consider the approachableness of our Savior in the Holy Eucharist.  After all, our dear Lord could have arranged any number of ways to infuse us with His divine life: a divine insulin given by a prick of a spear; a divine ointment applied over the skin; a divine food, like a jawbreaker or strong taffy or simply something very bitter, sour, or spiny... which would prove a trial for many to consume.  But our Christ chose none of these ways to communicate His divine life into our souls.  Rather He gives Himself to us in a way easily accessible to all.  His presence under the appearance of bread and wine is a Food without difficulty - even enjoyable - to consume so that both young and old, weak or strong, rich or poor, may easily receive His divine Life. 

Consider also how the Savior waits for mankind in the Holy Eucharist.  With what patience He waits for His friends to receive Him or visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament!  He does not keep office hours.  He does not take Saturdays off or vacation time.  No.  Our dear Lord is there all the time and ever ready to greet us should we have some extra moment in the day to spend with Him. 

Suppose a man wants to visit a president, pop-star, or pope, he has to get background checks, arrange with important persons, make plans long in advance, perhaps even amass a sum of money if only for travel purposes.  Now suppose this man wants to see God... there in the Catholic church resides the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, waiting for him - all the time - to visit Him.  To see this King one needs only simple things, “a humble and contrite heart, Oh Lord, Thou shalt not despise.” (Ps 50:19)

 But perhaps I am unworthy; perhaps I have fallen into serious sin!   I need not overly worry.  My kind Savior rescues me in way equally approachable.  Should a man suffer a grievous wound to his soul, the Sacrament of Holy Confession becomes his doctor and salvation!  As long as he  confesses to a priest all serious sin of which he is aware (in kind and number), has a firm purpose to sin no more and avoid all near occasions of sin, and plans to complete his assigned penance, after hearing the words of the priest, “I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” he once more becomes a friend of Almighty God and worthy to receive the Holy Eucharist.  How easy a solution to curing the wounds of serious sin!

Consider that our dear Savior could have made forgiveness of our sins more difficult.  A one hour plunge in an icy bath reciting all 150 Psalms; a difficult journey, perhaps a pilgrimage on our knees to the Holy Land.  The Hindus believe that bathing in the Godavari River in India during the Kumbh Mela Festival forgives sin.  In 1954, the million plus worshipers converged upon the site and 800 died in a stampede; in 2003, 39 were killed and 125 hurt.  The Muslims require pilgrimages to holy sites.  Yearly stampedes kill hundreds. In 2003, 244 were trampled to death at Mina in Saudia Arabia; in 1990, 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in Mecca..  These incidents reveal the zeal of even pagans to have sin forgiven and show the kindness of the true God for making it so easy!

If we were required to dip in an icy river or make a long journey before our sins could be forgiven, perhaps we could complain.  But our dear Savior does not require this.  Rather He told His apostles, “whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you shall retain they are retained.” And so now whenever we confess our sins to a priest (in kind and number), with determination to quit sin, and avoid all near occasions, and do our penance, we receive an absolution which restores  or increases God’s presence in our soul... anytime, anyplace, and anywhere we confess.

What easy remedies for our salvation!  Verily, on the last day, what excuse could we possibly give for neglecting them!   Our blessed Savior makes Himself so approachable in Holy Eucharist; He is so kind to forgive sin so easily.  The rest is up to us. 

Finally, on this Holy Night, let us consider our Lord’s example in today’s Gospel.  The night before He will mount the cross to redeem the world, our blessed Savior washes the feet of His disciples, the most dirty part of the body.  In eastern cultures, exposing the bottom of the foot to another is a terrible insult.  And so Peter says, “Thou shalt never wash my feet!”  But nothing is too demeaning to the Savior save sin alone.  So Christ descends again, gently washes and dries the feet of His disciples, then says, “Know you what I have done to you?  You call Me Master and Lord.  If I being your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so do you also.”

Let us also give thanks to our Lord for this lesson of tonight.   Consider this divine example of  humility.  Let it encourage us to wash another’s feet, to descend from our pride and do the work of a servant or inferior... if only for the good example it may give others.   

On this Holy Night, may the considerations of our Savior’s approachableness in the Holy Eucharist, His ease to forgive sin in Holy Confession, and, finally, His humility to readily do the lowest of tasks compel our hearts to sigh, “Oh, my dear God, Thou hast loved me more than I deserve; Thou art so approachable, so kind, so humble that I shall run from Thee no longer.”