Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday

This evening, I would like to start by referring to Matt Talbot (1856–1925). You might know about him? Matt started working in Dublin at the age of 12 for wine merchants and immediately began drinking, becoming heavily addicted by the age of 13. For 15 years, he lived as an active alcoholic, often pawning his clothes for drink. One day, he ran out of money, and no one would buy him a drink. On his way home as he was going over a bridge, he realised how foolish he had been. He decided to give up drink and take the pledge. His first seven years of being sober were really difficult. He said it was “sheer hell”. But one of the keys to his recovery was going to Mass as well as just going to the local church or chapel and spending time in silent prayer before Jesus in the Tabernacle. He said the Mass gave his strength. It was the Mass that healed him. It was the Mass that helped him replace old destructive habits and shameful memories with a new life and new hope. It helped him to become like Jesus serving and helping others.

This evening we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the First Mass. It was the last meal Jesus had on earth with his disciples. And he wanted them to remember it. He was giving them a great gift. Ever since, that Mass has been celebrated, now ever week and every day throughout the world. Mass is a great gift because we remember so many great things at Mass. We remember that Jesus died on Calvary for us; that he forgave us our sins; that he prayed to God the Father for us; that he gave us the New Commandment to love one another; and that he gave us himself as food for our journey, spiritual food that would give us strength. We know that at the Last Supper, Jesus knelt down to wash the feet of the disciples as a sign of his way of love, of service, of humility that he wants us to follow. At Mass we remember all that, but not just as a memory about something that happened two thousand years ago. We remember that Jesus is now today doing all this for us – forgiving our sins, healing us, providing us with spiritual food, strengthening us. That’s what Matt Talbot understood. The Mass is really something great.

Let’s just focus on one aspect of the Mass this evening. At Mass, Jesus brings deep healing to our heart. We all carry wounds, negative memories and damaged self-image. Past mistakes, sins or failures can maybe make us feel useless. We might be tempted to give up and think that’s who we are – destined to make mistakes and failures and commit sin. Fear and our wounds can also make us become closed or defensive. But at Mass, we meet Jesus who wants to wash us clean, as it were. He wants to fill the empty spaces we might feel inside us with his merciful love, helping us realise that though we have sins, that’s not our identity. Jesus reminds us of our dignity as children of a God who is our loving Father, full of tenderness. Through Jesus, God wants to restore our sense of goodness, heal old hurts and open us up to be people who love others, care for them, help them, serve. The Mass is the great place where we can let Jesus do this in us.

At that First Mass when Jesus went to wash the feet of the apostles, Peter first say “no”. He didn’t want to let him. But then he realised he needed to do it. Likewise, we have a choice. We have to choose to believe Jesus really wants to come to us to heal us. And then we have to choose to let him do that by handing over to him our hurts and wounds, placing them in his merciful love that fills any gaps we have.

In God’s eyes, each of us is beautiful and that’s how he wants us to be. The Mass gives us a chance to let God restore in us the beautiful person each of us is, because we are made in God’s image. We let that beauty shine in us if, having been helped, healed and strengthened at Mass, we then go out to imitate Jesus by loving others, caring for them, serving them.

The Mass reminds us that’s the one thing we have to do to be happy – to let Jesus spiritually wash our feet and then follow Jesus’ example and really love and serve others.