Saint of the Day for 28 March: Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday: Celebration of the Last Supper and Institution of the Eucharist
Name
Maundy Thursday
Title
The Last Supper
Recurrence
28 March
Martyrology
2004 edition
Prayer
My Jesus, You with those words, “Do this in memory of me,” which You pronounced after the change of the bread into Your Body and the wine into Your Blood, express Your desire, to live always in our hearts, and to be our habitual thought, I will remember You, my God, more than myself; and if I am not worthy to receive You every day sacramentally, I will always reserve for You the best place in my heart. I make myself bold to ask for Your love, if only for today. If I do not deserve to love You always, do not deny me to love You at least in the moment when I possess You. I would like to raise to You unceasingly the expression of my desire to perfectly love You. After Communion I know better the value of those words: My God, I love You, so sweet to repeat when I possess You – Ah! At that moment You are truly mine! – Let me repeat to You with ardor, which age cannot weaken, for it is a motion of my immortal soul: I love You as much as I am capable of loving…. I would like to love You as the Blessed Virgin loves You, I would like to have a thousand lives to consecrate them all to You.
The Saint and Mission
Maundy Thursday marks a crucial moment in Holy Week, immersing us deeply in the mysteries of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. This day, in particular, leads us to commemorate the Last Supper, during which Jesus institutes the Eucharist and the priesthood, and gives us the mandate of brotherly love through the gesture of the washing of the feet. The celebration of Holy Thursday is therefore imbued with profound meanings that touch the very heart of the Christian mission in the world. The institution of the Eucharist, as the central event of Holy Thursday, reveals the depth of God’s saving love. Jesus, by offering bread and wine as His Body and Blood, establishes a new and eternal pact with humanity, inviting us to participate in His divine life. This sacrament of love calls us to live in intimate communion with Christ and with each other, transforming every Eucharistic celebration into an act of universal communion that overcomes the barriers of time and space, uniting all the faithful in the Body of Christ. The washing of the feet, another powerful symbol of Holy Thursday, presents us with a model of service and humility that is at the heart of the Christian mission. Jesus, taking on the role of a servant, overturns the social conventions of the time and teaches us that true greatness lies in serving others, especially the most needy and vulnerable among us. This deeply symbolic gesture reminds us that we are called to embody the love of Christ through concrete actions of service and mutual care. The mission evoked by Holy Thursday is therefore twofold: it is an invitation to nourish ourselves with the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, making our life a constant offering of love to God and our neighbor, and at the same time, it is a call to live humility and service as an authentic expression of that bond of love. Maundy Thursday challenges us to recognize the sacrificial love of Jesus as the foundation of our faith and actions, urging us to become witnesses of this love in the world. Holy Thursday invites us to reflect deeply on our participation in the mysteries of faith and on our response to Christ’s call to live according to the Gospel of love and service. It reminds us that our mission as Christians is not just a question of words, but of a life lived in full conformity with the example of Christ, who became the servant of all for the salvation of the world. On this sacred day, we are called to renew our commitment to follow Christ more closely, welcoming his Eucharistic presence into our hearts and serving our neighbors with a love that reflects God’s infinite mercy.
The Saint and Mercy
Holy Thursday introduces us to the beating heart of Holy Week, offering us a profound reflection on the divine mercy manifested through the acts and teachings of Jesus in the last hours before his passion. This day reminds us of two fundamental events that are the supreme expression of Christ’s love and mercy: the institution of the Eucharist and the washing of the feet. Both events reveal to us the depth of God’s love, a love that becomes gift, service and living presence among us. The institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper is the culmination of the revelation of God’s love for humanity. In this sacrament, Jesus not only promises his continued presence among us, but offers himself as spiritual food that nourishes, sustains and renews. The Eucharist is the tangible manifestation of God’s mercy, which enters into our fragility and our poverty to transform us from within, inviting us to a more intimate communion with Him and among us. In this sacrament of love, every Eucharistic celebration becomes a personal encounter with divine mercy, which calls us to in turn become bearers of this mercy in the world. The washing of the feet, then, reveals the mercy of Christ in action. Through this gesture, Jesus reverses the traditional roles of power and service, showing that true greatness is achieved through humility and service to others, especially the little ones and the needy. This act is not only a model of ethical behavior, but a profound sign of God’s merciful love, reaching down to meet us in our most vulnerable state. He invites us to recognize the intrinsic dignity of each person and to respond with a love that becomes concrete in mutual service and care. Holy Thursday, therefore, presents us with the challenge of living mercy in an authentic and radical way, following the example of Christ. This mercy is expressed not only in occasional acts of charity, but in a life choice that makes unconditional love and selfless service the fulcrum of one’s existence. The mercy that Jesus teaches us and gives us is a transformative force, capable of renewing hearts and building communities founded on justice, peace and brotherly love. Holy Thursday invites us to contemplate the merciful face of God in Jesus Christ and to make mercy the main path of our lives. It reminds us that the call to follow Jesus is a call to embody his mercy in the world, transforming every daily gesture into a tangible sign of God’s love. This sacred day challenges us to become, in turn, living Eucharist and humble servants , bringing the light of divine mercy into the darkness of our world.
Hagiography
On Holy Thursday, the rite of blessing the holy oils is celebrated during the morning Chrism Mass and in the afternoon the Last Supper of the Lord is recalled at the evening Mass, thus beginning the Holy Triduum…