The Mandatum

“I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:

love one another as I have loved you.”

John 13:34

All sorts of things happened at the Last Supper. Excitement over an important meal. An act of betrayal foretold. Puzzlement on the part of the disciples. Satan entering Judas. Night falling. Washing of feet. Giving of a new commandment. Institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood. Singing of hymns. Journeying to the garden. Praying to the Father. Falling asleep. Betraying with a kiss. Attacking with clubs and swords. Arresting and dragging Jesus away.

That all happened in one night. At the center of the list of events are the washing of the feet, giving of a new commandment, and the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood. These are all linked together. In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus was ushering in a new commandment and model of discipleship - to serve one another and to wash one another’s feet just as Jesus has done. And to the one who is to lead, he must be the servant of them all. Out of His great love for us, Jesus laid down His life for our salvation, and left us the Eucharist as a memorial of His suffering and death. This is the model for the priesthood - to be the servant of all and to willingly lay down one’s life for the People of God.

However, it’s not just the model for priests, but for all Christians. To follow Christ is to love, and to love is to serve, and it is only in listening and receiving the new commandment and by receiving love will we be able to carry this out. Today may be April Fools but this night was no joke. It happened, and because it did we have been freed from slavery to sin and death and given the gift of salvation.

May we today ask the Lord for the grace to open our hearts and to receive His love and mercy so that we may truly love, to love one another as Christ has loved us.

Selling Out

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,

‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’

They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.”

Matthew 26:14-16

“What are you willing to give me?” How selfish, how self-centered? “What’s in it for me?” “How can I benefit from this?” Judas was not in it for the long haul. He had an expectation of what Jesus ought to be and when it seemed like it will not be realized, he jumped ship. It was Judas who went and sought out the chief priests. Just a couple of days ago he wanted Jesus to sell that jug of perfumed oil for 300 days’ worth of wages but now he is willing to settle for 30 pieces of silver. Where one’s treasure is so is their heart. Judas sold his heart to the world, to the enemy, and ultimately he sold his soul too.

What is your treasure? What is my treasure? Do we invest most of our time in chasing the latest trends? Making as much money as I possibly can? Crossing off as much as I can from my bucket list? Is God a part of any of it? Have we ever traded time with the Lord with a hobby or even just wasteful passing of time? My brothers and sisters: too much of the world has sought after the “chief priests” of the world and cashed in the Lord, selling Him out. We can’t afford to join them. The world may promise you 30 pieces of silver in the form of pleasure, possessions, wealth, fame, or power, but like the silver, it will eventually wear off and be used up. But if we give however many of pieces of silver we have to the Lord - time, talent or treasure, what we will be given is something so much greater, eternal life and fullness of joy and peace.

Who will we seek out today? The chief priests of the world or the Lord? Will we live honest lives with our integrity intact or will we be like Judas who shamefully answered the Lord, “Surely, it is not I Rabbi?”

Loving through Betrayal

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

John 13:21

Imagine yourself sitting around a table with good friends after being told that something bad is going to happen and when it does, not only will you friends not stick by you, but will also flee, run away, and deny of even knowing you. Would you stay and enjoy that meal? How would you respond? You might confront them. You might ask them if things were to go down, would they run or would that stay by your side. They assured you that they would have your back.

Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, that they were all going to run and flee when they saw the guards in the garden, and that Peter would deny of ever knowing Him. Yet, despite all this, Jesus chose to sit and eat with them. He even washed their feet and gave them the most precious gift - Himself, the Eucharist. Despite knowing all this, He chose to love. He chose to love them in their weaknesses, in their fears, and in their cowardice. He loved them because His Father did.

When we look at our own lives and the relationships in them, are there some areas in which we have fostered hate and resentment instead of love and forgiveness? We are all fallen human beings who are attracted to sin and who are really undeserving of forgiveness. Yet, God never withheld mercy when we begged for it. We are told that the sinful woman loved much because she was forgiven much. It was in receiving that she was able to give and to love. If we find it hard to forgive or to love perhaps we have not received love or forgiveness well. May we allow ourselves to receive the Father’s love and mercy as well as from others so that we may too may love, even through betrayal.