Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Tonight, we enter into the most sacred days of our faith—the Paschal Triduum. We begin with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, a liturgy that is profoundly rich in mystery and meaning. It is a night that draws our attention to three inseparable gifts: the Eucharist, the Priesthood, and the Mandate of Love.

The Eucharist: “This is my Body… This is my Blood…”

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us the gift of Himself—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—under the signs of bread and wine. The Eucharist is not just a symbol. It is Christ Himself, the living memorial of His passion, death, and resurrection. Every time we celebrate the Mass, we are at Calvary, not as spectators, but as participants in the mystery of our redemption.

In giving us the Eucharist, Christ gave us a perpetual presence of His love. He knew the pain of absence, the weakness of our human hearts, and so He chose to remain with us, hidden yet real, in the Blessed Sacrament. In the Eucharist, Christ nourishes us, transforms us, and sends us forth.

The Priesthood: “Do this in memory of me.”

Tonight also marks the institution of the ministerial priesthood. When Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me,” He was speaking not only to His disciples, but to those who would continue His mission through the ages. In His command, He entrusted to the Church the sacred responsibility to celebrate the Eucharist, preach the Gospel, and shepherd His people.

The priest is not his own. He is configured to Christ the High Priest—called to serve, to sacrifice, and to sanctify. He does not stand in the sanctuary for his own sake, but to lead others to Christ. The priesthood is a gift to the Church, and it calls for deep humility, fidelity, and love.

The Mandate of Love: “As I have done for you, so you also should do.”

And then, in a gesture as shocking as it is intimate, Jesus bends down to wash the feet of His disciples. The Master becomes the servant. The Lord of glory takes on the role of a slave. This is not just an example—it is a mandate. “As I have done for you, you must do for one another.”

The Eucharist is incomplete without love. The priesthood is empty without service. What we celebrate at the altar must be lived in the world. If we kneel before Christ in adoration but fail to kneel before our neighbor in love, we have not understood the Gospel.

Tonight, we are invited to remember, to receive, and to respond.

To remember the love that instituted the Eucharist and priesthood.

To receive Christ anew, with reverence and thanksgiving.

And to respond by washing the feet of others—through mercy, forgiveness, and service.

Let us walk with Christ from this Upper Room to Gethsemane, to Calvary, and finally to the empty tomb. But let us not walk alone—let us carry one another, in love.

“Do this in memory of me.”

May this be not just a liturgical action, but a way of life.