Sacred Triduum begins today with Holy Thursday

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There is no mention of Mary in the Scripture accounts of the Last Supper, and so I only want to dwell on the Truth that Jesus, the Word made Flesh was conceived in her womb, and He is Flesh of her flesh, by God’s Will and design.

To continue this Holy Week with Mary, it is important to me to listen – as Mary did – to all Jesus said, and to ponder in our hearts, the Divine Revelation we receive in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church.

When we hear the Gospel for today, from John, we hear the Love and Humility of Jesus, as He washes the feet of His disciples. We can learn as Mary learned, from Him, from His conception within her to His Resurrection and Ascension. Those of us who are able to participate tonight in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will hear also these words of Jesus through the mouth of the priest :

“This is My Body”… “This is My Blood…”

May our hearts hear those words in all their depth, as Mary would hear them after Jesus’ death and Resurrection each time she participated in Mass offered by one of His priests.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful. Kindle in us the fire of Your Love.

"…O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:

Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord."

Jesus, I trust in You!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

There is no mention of Mary in the Scripture accounts of the Last Supper

I picture her eating her Passover with her relatives, perhaps those other women she spent time with.

I have thought it was sad she didn’t get to eat the dinner with Jesus, but he likely thought it was too dangerous to have her nearby and she probably agreed with his judgment call.

 

[twf]

Didn’t the men and women eat the sacred meal separately? I’m not sure on that though.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You may be right. I am not sure either though. Perhaps someone else can confirm.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Tis_Bearself and twt,

The fact that that Mary is not mentioned in the Scriptures’ account of the Last Supper remains a mystery to me, but I am content to ponder and keep all God has revealed as Mary did, keeping and pondering all in her heart.

Last night, on Holy Thursday, I was moved by the homily which stressed the two Sacramnts of Holy Orders and Eucharist. Mary our Mother had received Jesus in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, and I began to ponder the beauty of her vocation as one far surpassing any priestly ordination, as beautiful as that Sacrament is. I remember years ago someone saying, God did not make men mothers, but He made them priests. In a similar way, when Mary heard John or any of the first priests of the early Church repeat the words of Consecration: “This is my Body; This is my Blood” I wondered if she did not repeat those words in her heart knowing Jesus was flesh of her flesh. On Calvary I believe Mary gave herself again to God totally with her Son. She was the first to receive Him and to give herself with Him to the Father.

Today, Good Friday, in reading from Pope Benedict’s encyclical “On Christian Hope” I was blessed to read this:

…Being in communion with Jesus Christ draws us into his “being for all”; it makes it our own way of being. He commits us to live for others, but only through communion with Him does it become possible truly to be there for others, for the whole.

Mary is the Mother and Model for the Church – every man, woman and child, can, by God’s Grace, obey the words of Jesus from His Cross:

Behold your Mother

Mother of Jesus and our Mother, Mother of Love Divine, pray for us that we may learn from Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, all Truth and Love. Intercede for us, Mother, that like you, we may love one another as He has loved us.