When
we look around the world today and see so much disarray, so
much mal-contention, so much violence, hatred and killing – we might ask
ourselves – and rightly so – why did he
bother? Why did GOD bother to become ONE OF US – creatures of this type,
who do such terrible things to one another – why did God bother to even try to
save us, to reconcile the situation, to bring peace on earth?
The answer is this: if he did not come, then everything we see
would have been exponentially that much worse. We have to remember that
what we are seeing now is already filtered by the Death and Resurrection of
Jesus: when he died and rose, Jesus did it for all people: and inherently, in every human heart, there is now a
sense that this is so: Jesus is Lord,
Jesus is King, Jesus is Savior of the world. But, so many people on earth
are not willing to write out the check that they are entitled by grace to
write: to welcome into their lives not only the idea of Jesus as Savior, Redeemer and Reconciler: but the actual Person Himself! This is very sad!
Jesus provided a way to do
that: as the final events of his life came fast upon him Jesus knew exactly
what he was about: establishing a permanent and indeed everlasting way for us
to be connected to him.
I love you so much, he
said, that I want you to become and
intimate part of me, and I you. I will then give you a sacramental system of seven
signs of our connection with him and our willingness to be a part of each
other’s’ lives. The very first two of these supernatural signs were the Sacraments of Eucharist and of Holy Orders
– which we celebrate the memorial of the Institution of here and now –
the Food
of Eternal Life, supernatural food of spiritual growth and nourishment,
real and essential communion with God and with one another; and moments later
the Priesthood;
which would be forever linked with his own priesthood and the source of all
sacramental life of the church including primarily Eucharist, the other
sacraments and the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel of his Word.
He
did this for love, a very deep, abiding and amazing love: the Eucharist is Love made Flesh,
Jesus in his Risen state; and the priesthood, as St. John Vianney tells us is the very love of his heart (which led
him to the cross and to resurrection), his
Divine and Sacred Heart, made flesh really and truly in the priest at his
ordination by the working of the Holy Spirit. The very being of the priest
is changed forever and configured to Christ: Priest, Victim, Preacher, Teacher
and Brother – for the good of the Church – for your good.
The
priesthood then, modeled after Jesus’ own actions of foot washing at the Last
Supper is a ministry of “service”! Priests must serve as Jesus served, love
as Jesus loved, and sacrifice as
Jesus sacrificed!
On this very sacred and holy
evening we thank God from the depths of our being for the astounding gifts of
the Holy Eucharist and Holy Priesthood: may we reverence, honor, love and
appreciate each to the fullest especially during this upcoming Easter Season –
and may we tell others the “good news” about the wonderful God-given, inner
workings of our beloved Catholic Church – and even invite them to consider
joining us!
I give you a new commandment:
LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU!