Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday invites us to reflect on what it truly means to be human in Christ: to live in communion, to serve others, and to be transformed by grace. Through the Eucharist, we are drawn into unity and shaped into the likeness of Jesus. Ultimately, it is not our own effort, but Christ himself who makes us fully human.
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Earlier this week, I received a message from a Purolator courier that my package was on its way. When you see those messages, you get excited, and of course I went online to track it as it made its way across the country. I went to the website, and suddenly a chat window popped up. I know it was a computer, but as I typed back and forth, it seemed surprisingly human. It asked how it could help me, I said I wanted to track my package, and we had a pleasant exchange. At the end, it said, “Have a nice day,” and I replied, “Have a nice day to you as well.” Then I stopped and thought, I just wished a computer a good day.
Artificial intelligence is all around us. There are many debates about what impact it will have. Some say it will change everything. Others think it may be overhyped. But regardless, it raises deeper questions. If we speak of artificial intelligence, what is human intelligence? What does it mean to be human? What makes us unique? And ultimately, how does God want us to live as human beings in Christ?
Over these three days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil, we enter into what is really one continuous liturgy. You will notice that after this evening and after tomorrow’s liturgy, there is no formal dismissal. Each celebration flows into the next. Through the readings, rituals, and prayers, we are drawn into the central question: who is God, and how are we to live as human beings in Christ?
This evening, the liturgy of Holy Thursday helps us reflect on what it means to be truly human. First, we see that to be human is to live in community, especially a community that includes those on the margins. In the second reading, St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, addressing divisions within their community. They had formed factions and excluded others, even during the celebration of the Eucharist. The wealthy gathered and ate first, while the poor were left out and made to feel ashamed.
Paul strongly rebukes this behavior. The Eucharist is a celebration of Christ’s total self-gift, and such exclusion contradicts its meaning. When we receive the Eucharist, we are formed into one body. To live as human beings in Christ means to live in communion, to recognize the dignity of every member, and to build unity rather than division.
Second, the Gospel shows us that to be human is to serve. Holy Thursday is also called “Maundy Thursday,” from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: to love one another as he has loved them. He then shows what this love looks like by washing their feet.
After the homily, we reenact this moment. It is a powerful reminder that as disciples, we are called to serve. True love begins when it becomes inconvenient, when it costs us something. There is a well-known story about Mother Teresa. A wealthy man once saw her caring for a dying man with severe wounds and said, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.” She replied, “Neither would I. But I do it for Christ.” This is the kind of love we are called to.
Finally, we learn that to be human in Christ is to be transformed. The Eucharist is not simply a symbol; it is the gift of Jesus himself. Through it, we are changed. St. Augustine once said, “Be what you see; receive what you are.” Pointing to the Eucharist, he taught that what we receive is Christ, and in receiving him, we become more like him.
Normally, when we eat food, it becomes part of us. But in the Eucharist, the opposite happens. We become part of Christ. We are drawn into his life, his love, and his mission.
At the end of this Mass, there is no final blessing. Instead, we continue in prayer. We will process with the Blessed Sacrament and place it at the altar of repose. You are invited to remain in silent prayer, recalling Jesus in the garden and preparing to enter more deeply into his Passion. The church will remain open until midnight.
Tonight, we reflect on what it means to be human in Christ. We are called into community. We are called to serve. And above all, we are transformed by the Eucharist. It is not by our own efforts that we become fully human, but through the grace of Jesus Christ, given to us in this sacred gift.
