Introducing the True Presence Club for Kids!
We’re excited to announce the True Presence Club—a brand new children’s membership to the International Society of the Eucharist! Once every three months we’ll send a package to the children, teaching them about Jesus in the Eucharist. It will include books, booklets, medals, prayer books, prayer cards, and lots of surprises. Learning about the Eucharist has never been so fun.
Join the International Society of the Eucharist!
America is divided. 50 million Catholics have left the Church. And the world has run out of solutions. But God hasn’t. Join the International Society of the Eucharist and together let’s unleash Eucharistic Glory across America. Become a member today and we’ll send you special welcome gifts!
Transcript
The whole of human history takes a very somber turn on Holy Thursday. As we make our way through the Paschal Tritone, I want you to keep one passage from the Bible in mind. It is most commonly quoted as St. Paul, but it is in fact St. Paul quoting Isaiah. This is what the Scripture says: "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." But it came at a price, a great price.
This morning, Jesus sends Peter and John ahead to Jerusalem, having given them instructions to make preparations for the Passover meal. The rest of the disciples and Jesus would join them in the upper room after sunset. Who was the man who loaned Jesus the upper room so he could celebrate the Passover with His disciples? How huge was that holy moment? He loaned Jesus the room where the Eucharist was instituted. This is an evening of extraordinary events. The first is the most epic leadership lesson ever. These past three years have been a masterclass in leadership for the disciples. But now Jesus kneels down to wash his disciples' feet. It is almost impossible to explain how much of a paradigm shift this would have been for the disciples.
The rulers of this world had clearly established a hierarchy that served them in every way possible. But as the Scriptures read, "The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served." Now Jesus is washing the feet of his disciples. Think about it just from a practical and human perspective for just a moment. These men, they didn't wear shoes like you and I wear. They didn't bathe like you and I do. They wore open sandals and wandered along dusty roads. Their feet would have been filthy and sweaty and smelly. And they were rightly horrified that Jesus was kneeling down to wash their feet.
This is the birth of servant leadership. Jesus had spoken of it many times and now he was modeling it. Not in a sterilized, ceremonial way, but in the most gritty, personal and practical way imaginable to the people of that time. It was a monumental act of humility. Next, we witness the institution of the Eucharist. Jesus says in the Scriptures, I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. This Last Supper will set off a series of unspeakable tragedies, and yet Jesus is eager. That's the word he uses, eager. When were you last eager to lay down your life for others in a small way or a large way? When were you last eager to serve others at your own expense? One of the most fascinating aspects of the Last Supper for me is that Jesus gives Himself to Judas, to Judas, even though he knows Judas has and will betray him. The scriptures tell us while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this, all of you, and eat. This is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them, "Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Have you ever given yourself to someone and they didn't appreciate the gift? Imagine how Jesus felt. Yes, he's God, but he's also man. Fully God, fully man. Imagine how he felt giving himself to Judas that night. He knew, in this moment, everything that would come to pass from that moment until the end of the world, and yet he still boldly gives himself to us. If you knew you were having dinner with someone for the last time, you would probably think carefully about what you wanted to say to that person. At dinner for the last time with his disciples, Jesus also provided a roadmap for Christian identity for centuries to come. The gospel reads, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." This is our identity. This is how he wanted us identified. This is how he wanted people to know that we were Christians. Not by this or that, or the many, many other things that we've chosen to grasp for Christian identity over the past 2,000 years, but by our love, by the way we live our lives, our love for one another, our love for strangers, our love for the people who drive us crazy, our love for the people who oppose us, our love for the people who try to hurt us. That's how he wanted us to be known.
This day, this Holy Thursday, is also rich with traditions. The Catholic traditions surrounding Holy Thursday include the Chrism Mass, which is the only Mass said on this day other than the Evening Mass. During the Chrism Mass, the bishop consecrates the sacred chrism and blesses the other royals. The chrism is used for confirmation and holy orders. The second oil is used for baptism. This is the oil of the catechumens. And the third oil is the oil of the sick, which is used to anoint people who are ill or infirmed. Tonight, when you attend Mass, imagine yourself there at the Last Supper.
Arrive a little early so you can put yourself in the state of mind necessary to experience mass as if it were your first, last, and only mass. After Jesus and the disciples had celebrated the Passover meal, we read in the Scriptures, "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." But then we read that they came to a place named Gethsemane. The Mount of Olives is a mountain range between Jerusalem and the Judean desert. The Garden of Gethsemane sits at the base of the Mount of Olives. Along the way, between the upper room and Gethsemane, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny Him.
This takes my mind back to something Jesus said a few days ago in relation to the destruction of the temple. The Scripture reads, "Not one stone shall be left upon another." That's what we're about to witness. Every single stone will be torn apart and thrown to the ground. Every act of cruelty and torture that happens during Jesus' passion is another stone being torn from the temple and thrown to the ground. Every lash of the whip, every harsh word, every one of the thorns in the crown, each strike of the hammer to force the nails through his flesh and into the cross.
Judas' betrayal, the scattering of the disciples scared and confused, and now the denial of Peter, not once, but three times. Not a single stone will be left standing. It was late when Jesus and His disciples made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. It had been a long day. It had been a long week. Throughout this week, we've often asked what Jesus was thinking and how he was feeling. We don't need to ask tonight. He explained what he was thinking and feeling to Peter, James, and John. He said, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
The full humanity of the disciples is on display in the Garden of Gethsemane that night. So was their inability to comprehend what was about to happen. Indeed, what was happening, despite Jesus' efforts to warn and prepare them. Jesus makes a simple request. He says, "Watch with me for an hour." Then he goes to pray, and when he returns, he finds the disciples asleep. In what way are you asleep in your life right now? These eight words are one of Jesus' last teachings. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Throughout Lent, we have been practicing prayer, fasting, and alms giving.
There are many reasons and many benefits of these practices. One is that they strengthen our weak flesh and align us more with the next world than with this world. These practices are not designed to be masochistic exercises or self-punishment. And their primary purpose is not self-improvement, though we will certainly improve by practicing them. The Lenten traditions of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving are designed to open our closed hearts to grace, to warm our cold hearts to grace, and to soften our hard hearts to the life-giving grace of baptism. Back in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus continues his conversation with the Father.
Throughout the gospels, we get a lot of insight into the relationship between Jesus and the Father. The essence of everything we observe is how intent Jesus is on carrying out the will of the Father. And His final prayer before being arrested is a prayer for believers. And His prayer for all those who believe in Him is a prayer for unity. His prayer was this: that they may all be one. That was His prayer, unity, oneness, that we would all be one. And so in this day of prayer and reflection, in this day when believers are so scattered and divided, let part of our prayer be a prayer for Christian unity.
The anguish that Jesus is experiencing this night as He prays in the garden is unimaginable. What has been the greatest moment of anguish in your life? Anguish is defined as severe mental or physical suffering. What is causing you anguish right now in your life? Jesus' anguish is so overwhelming that He begins to sweat blood. This isn't just the writers of the gospel using hyperbole. Sweating blood is a medical condition called hematohidrosis. It occurs when a person is suffering from extreme levels of stress. This is how it happens. Our sweat glands are surrounded by lots of blood vessels. These blood vessels dilate and rupture under the pressure of the stress. Blood flows into the sweat glands and excessive sweating pushes blood to the surface. Consider this to try and catch a glimpse of what Jesus was perhaps experiencing. Think about the anguish you experience sometimes watching the news on television. You can have a very strong emotional response. Now imagine how you might feel if you combined all the anguish you have ever experienced watching the news your whole life. That would no doubt be overwhelming and would certainly bring about some very negative physical reactions. But now, imagine seeing every anguish-producing news report for the past 2,000 years and the next 2,000 years, all in one evening, all together. Then multiply that because the news only reports a tiny fraction of what happens. And we start to get a sense, just the flicker of a glimpse, of what Jesus was experiencing that evening in the garden. Nobody has even laid a hand on him yet, but he is sweating blood. But that was soon to change. Events start to move very quickly now. Jesus is betrayed with a kiss. A band of soldiers take Jesus in hand and arrest him. Peter cuts off the ear of the High Priest servant, and Jesus is taken away to the home of the High Priest Caiaphas, where the Sanhedrin are gathered.
And as the day comes to an end, Jesus is being questioned again by people who refuse to listen, refuse to submit into evidence the many deeds they had seen Jesus perform, and were simply trying to trap him. Jesus didn't stand a chance. They had already made up their minds. Let us pray today for all the people who have been falsely accused and falsely convicted. For people who are in prison right now. Think about that, sitting in a cell right now for a year, for 2 years, for 5 years, for 20 years, for a crime they did not commit.
Today is Thursday of Holy Week. It has been called Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, Thursday of the Supper of the Lord, the Great and Holy Thursday, and the Thursday of Mysteries. Maundy is the name of the Christian rite of foot washing. But it's that last name that captures my imagination, Thursday of the Mysteries. When we approach someone or something believing that we know them, we tend to discover nothing new. But when we approach with the understanding that who and what we are experiencing are mysteries, you will discover new things every time. No matter how many Holy Thursdays you have experienced, approach today as a mystery. Approach it with childlike curiosity and experience it anew this year.
The major theme today is the Eucharist. Are you in need of spiritual nourishment? Are you allowing God to nourish you in the ways He desires to nourish you? When you reflect on the times in your life, when you were and were not spiritually nourished, what differences do you notice? The minor themes in the events of Jesus' life on this day include love, self-donation, prayer, unity, betrayal, and servant leadership. Are you ready to give yourself in new ways? Are you willing to curb your selfishness and set aside your personal preferences in order to serve others powerfully? Throughout history, God has always looked for one thing in the people He calls to mission. And that one thing? Availability. Are you willing to make yourself 100% available to God? Trust, surrender, believe, receive. What is the one thing that is guaranteed to keep our children and grandchildren from losing their faith? Belief in the true presence of Jesus in Eucharist. Those who believe don't leave. And there's something you can do right now to ensure your child or grandchild grows up with the belief in the true presence. Give the children you love a membership to the International Society of the Eucharist. Once every three months, we'll send them a wonderful package filled with teachings about the Eucharist, filled with books and booklets and medals and prayer cards and lots of other surprises to help them understand the genius of Catholicism and to teach them to appreciate Jesus' presence in the Eucharist, what that can mean to them, not just on Sunday when they go to Mass, but every day for the rest of their lives. Together, let's ensure that the next generation understands the beauty, power, and privilege of the Eucharist for the rest of their lives. Give them the gift of faith. Give them the gift of belief in the true presence. Click on the button below and learn more today.
Jesus. I believe that you are truly present.
In the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist.
Every day, I long for more of you.
I love you above all things.
And I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot receive you.
Sacramentally.
At this moment.
I invite you to come and dwell in my heart.
May the spiritual communion.
Increase my desire for the Eucharist.
You are the healer of my soul.
Take the blindness from my eyes.
The deafness from my ears.
The darkness from my mind.
And the hardness from my heart.
Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage.
To do your will.
In all things.
My Lord and my God.
Draw me close to you.
Nearer than ever before.
Amen.
Consecrate America to the Eucharist.
Bye-bye.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
Come on.
Have a great day
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This year’s Holy Week Retreat focuses on a powerful theory: Everything that happens in your life—the big things and the small things—can be found in these eight days of Jesus’s experience. What events or experiences from your life have you connected with these eight days so far? Have you found any events or experiences that you think don’t fit into these eight days?