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One of the most famous and well-known depictions of the Last Supper was painted as a mural by Leonardo da Vinci inside a monastery in Milan. It is a dry fresco but most of us have seen re-creations with vivid color and sharp detail, filled in as a supplement to the original masterpiece, which had faded and sustained damage over the years. One of the many striking characteristics of the piece is that Jesus and the Twelve are seated on one side of a massively-long table. More than one wise-guy has suggested that this was because Jesus wanted to take a group picture and he made everyone get on one side and face the camera! Supposedly, Da Vinci himself said he left one side empty to remind all who pondered the piece that there was plenty of room for each person to become part of the Eucharistic Meal.
My favorite story as it relates to this masterpiece involves one of the people chosen to sit as a sort of model as DaVinci painted. In all of his works, he tried to find someone to pose who fit the face of the particular character he was painting. Out of hundreds of possibilities he chose a 19-year old to portray Jesus. It took him six months to paint the face of the Savior. Several years later, DaVinci started hunting for just the right face for Judas. Where could he find one that would portray that image? He looked high and low. Down in a dark Roman dungeon he found a wretched, unkempt prisoner who could strike the perfect pose. The prisoner was released to his care and when the portrait of Judas was complete the prisoner said to the great artist, “You don’t recognize me, do you? I am the man you painted years ago as the face of Christ. May God have mercy on me; I have fallen so low!”
Holy Thursday is a powerful celebration of the institution of the Eucharist, which serves as a heavenly remedy for our human sinfulness. Holy Thursday is a joyful celebration of the institution of the ministerial priesthood, through which the sacraments are made available to Catholics of every age until Jesus returns to rule heaven and earth. Holy Thursday is a poignant reminder that each and every person who proclaims Jesus as Lord must find greatness in service and strive to be last and least of all. Finally, Holy Thursday is a stark reminder that our faithfulness to Jesus is not something we choose once and then put on autopilot. In the fear and failure of the apostles, we recognize we too can easily profess loyalty and love to the Lord, only to deny and betray him with shocking ease. This holy night, this invitation to intimacy as we take our own places at the Lord’s table, reminds us of how possible it is for us to be like the young man posing for Da Vinci: one day the face of Christ, the next day the face of his betrayer! Because Our Savior is so good, so loving, so generous, he gives us a path to remain close to him. We never need betray him or abandon him in his hour of need if we follow his example, modeled in tonight’s liturgy.
First, we need to offer humble service to others. Living a Eucharistic lifestyle requires that we imitate Jesus as servant leaders, reverencing Christ’s presence in each person, especially the forgotten, irritating, and inconvenient. To wash the feet of others is to love them, especially when they don’t deserve our love, and to do good for them, even when they don’t return the favor. It is to consider others’ needs to be as important as our own. It is to forgive others from the heart, even though they don’t always apologize. It is to serve them, even when the task is unpleasant. It is to let others know we care, when they feel downtrodden or burdened. It is to be generous with what we have. It is to turn the other cheek, instead of retaliating when we’re treated unfairly. It is to make adjustments in our plans in order to serve others’ needs, without expecting any reward or letting everyone know about our good deeds. By living this way, we love and serve Jesus Himself, as He has loved and served us and has commanded us to do in memory of him.
Secondly, we need to practice sacrificial sharing and self-giving love. Although we can never match the perfect and complete gift shown to us in the Eucharist, we are called to imitate the selfless model of Jesus who holds nothing back by sharing his own Body and Blood. It is by sharing our blessings of talent, time, health and wealth with others that we become true disciples of Christ and obey his new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you”. It is this spirit of love and service which ought to be the common characteristic of each Christian disciple and every Catholic parish.
Thirdly, we need to show our solidarity with those who are suffering in mind, body, or spirit. How interesting that Jesus did not ask the apostles to defeat the forces of evil that fought against him; he simply wanted their prayerful company as he suffered for our sake. The same holds true for us. Jesus does not ask us to fix all of the troubles we see in the world and in His Church. But he does ask us to be near to those who brokenhearted, alone, and afflicted. The Bread we eat is produced by the pounding of many grains of wheat, and the Wine we drink is the result of the crushing of many grapes. Both are symbols of solidarity in suffering. They invite us to help, console, support, and pray for all who suffer in any way rather than compete, criticize, condemn, or judge.
Finally, we need to become Christ-bearers to the world. We must not keep the blessing of Holy Thursday to ourselves!! One of the exhortations at the end of Mass is “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” In other words, carry Jesus to our homes, places of work, schools and communities, conveying to others around us the love, mercy, forgiveness, and spirit of Jesus’ humble service which we carry with us. That message is meant for each person who replies, “Thanks be to God.”
Even 2000 years after that first Eucharist, Jesus still labors as the Divine Artist who wishes to use you and me and every one of his children to portray his face to the world. Jesus gives us the grace and the example of how to do so, each in our unique but interconnected ways. May we be a Eucharistic people: grateful, humble, faithful, and courageous who serve others with joy and bring many to the Lord’s table.
