Thursday of Holy Week

I. Chrism Mass 

1st Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9

The herald of good tidings 
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[1] The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good tidings to the afflicted;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
[2] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
[3] to grant to those who mourn in Zion –
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit;

[6] [B]ut you shall be called the priests of the Lord,
men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

[8] I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

[9] Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and their offspring in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

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Commentary: 

1-11. Into the air of great joy reflected in the previous hymn, the prophet inserts
this very important oracle about the new messenger (vv. 1-3). The rest of the
chapter is made up of three stanzas that celebrate the wonders of the holy city. 
These can be seen in profound, spiritual renewal (vv. 4-7), perfect fulfillment of
the promises made to the ancient patriarchs (vv. 8-9), and joy-in-worship, com-
parable to that of a bridegroom and bride, or that of the farmer on seeing a rich
harvest (vv. 10-11).

The remarkable events and features of the city point to the time of the End, the
time of the Lord’s definitive, salvific intervention. In this context, these new
things are ultimate and definitive. Because in the New Testament the Church is
called "God’s building” (1 Cor 3:9), erected on the foundation of the apostles (1
Cor 3:11), Christian tradition has seen the new, glorious Jerusalem as a symbol
of the Church that makes its way through this world and will be made manifest
at the end of time (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 756-757).

61:1-3 This very compact oracle depicts the eschatological messenger speak-
ing a soliloquy. It is one of the key passages in the book of Isaiah. It clearly 
has connexions with the songs of the Servant, especially the second song
(49:1-6). The pouring out of the Spirit involves anointing, as in the case of the
king (cf. 11:2) and in that of the Servant of the Lord (42:1). But the messenger
is more than a king, more than a prophet, more than the community dwelling in
the holy city in the latter days. His mission is a dual one – to be a messenger 
and a comforter. As a messenger, like a king’s ambassador in times of war,
he brings good tidings: he announces redemption for slaves, release for pri-
soners (cf. Jer 34:8, 17). His message proclaims a new order of things where
there will be no need for repression, and where concord and well-being will
prevail. The "year of the Lord’s favour” (v. 2) is similar to the jubilee year (cf.
Lev 25:9-19) or the sabbatical year (cf. Ex 21:2-11; Jer 34:14; Ezek 46:17) in
the sense that it is a day chosen by the Lord, and different from any other; but
here it means the point at which God shows himself to be most gracious and
bestows definitive salvation (cf. 49:8). It is also called the day of vengeance
(v. 2) because on that day, essentially a day of good news, the wicked, too,
will receive their just deserts.

As a comforter he will bind up hearts broken by illness or misfortune, and give
encouragement to those who weep and revive those who mourn in Zion. When
the comforter is the Lord or a messenger of his (cf. 40:1), one can expect him
to re-establish his people, to set things right, (the way they were at the begin-
ning), to renew the broken Covenant and re-establish institutions that had been
dismantled, that is, bring about a situation where everything is in plentiful
supply.

People who have reached rock bottom (the poor, prisoners, etc.) will be given
a place of honour on that day, and a wreath, perfume and a mantle of praise
(v. 3). In sacred texts of the post-exilic period, the concept of the "poor” (or
"afflicted”: cf. note m) already went beyond the social category of those least
well off: it had a religious connotation, meaning "the humble”, those who saw
themselves as having no value before God and who simply put their faith in his
divine mercy. The final definition of the "poor” will emerge in the Beatitudes
(Mt 5:3-12).

In Jesus’ time, Jewish tradition, found in the targum or Aramaic translation of
the Bible, considered the messenger described here to be a prophet (and for
that reason it introduced this oracle with the words "Thus says the prophet”).
So, when Jesus reads this passage in the synagogue of Nazareth he points out
that "today the scripture has been fulfilled” (Lk 4:21) and that he is the prophet
of whom Isaiah spoke. By doing so, he is saying that he is the Messiah, the
Christ, the one anointed by the Holy Spirit (cf. Is 11:2), not so much as a king
but as a prophet who proclaims salvation. Ever since then, Christian teaching
sees Jesus as the last messenger sent by the Holy Spirit: "The prophet pre-
sents the Messiah as the one who comes in the Holy Spirit, the one who pos-
sesses the fullness of this Spirit in himself and at the same time for others, for
Israel, for all the nations, for all humanity. The fullness of the Spirit of God is
accompanied by many different gifts, the treasures of salvation, destined in a
particular way for the poor and suffering, for all those who open their hearts to
these gifts – sometimes through the painful experience of their own existence--
but first of all through that interior availability which comes from faith. The aged
Simeon, the ‘righteous and devout man’ upon whom ‘rested the Holy Spirit’,
sensed this at the moment of Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, when he per-
ceived in him the ‘salvation … prepared in the presence of all peoples’ at the 
price of the great suffering – the Cross – which he would have to embrace to-
gether with his Mother. The Virgin Mary, who "had conceived by the Holy 
Spirit’, sensed this even more clearly, when she pondered in her heart the 
"mysteries” of the Messiah, with whom she was associated” (Dominum et
Vivficantem, 16).

2nd Reading: Revelation 1:5-8

Address and Greeting
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[5] And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the
ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood [6] and made
us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen. [7] Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye
will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on
account of him. Even so. Amen.

[8] "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was
and who is to come, the Almighty."

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Commentary:

5-6. Three messianic titles taken from Psalm 89:28-38 are given a new meaning
in the light of fulfillment of Christian faith and applied to Jesus Christ. He is "the
faithful witness" of the fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises of a Savior,
a son of David (cf. 2 Sam 7:14; Rev 5:5;), for it is Christ who has in fact brought
about salvation. That is why, later on in the book, St John calls Jesus Christ "the
Amen" (Rev 3:4) -- which is like saying that through what Christ did God has rati-
fied and kept his word; St John also calls him "Faithful and True" (Rev 19;11),
because God's fidelity and the truth of his promises have been manifested in
Jesus. This is to be seen in the Resurrection, which made Jesus "the first-born
from the dead", in the sense that the Resurrection constituted a victory in which
all who abide in him share (cf. Col 1:18). Christ is also "the ruler of kings on
earth" because he is Lord of the world: this will be clearly seen when he comes
a second time, but his dominion is already making itself felt because he has be-
gun to conquer the power of sin and death.

The second part of v. 5 and all v. 6 are a kind of paean in praise of Christ recalling
his great love for us as expressed in his words, "Greater love has no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Christ's love for us
knows no bounds: his generosity led him to sacrifice his life by the shedding of
his blood, which redeemed us from our sins. There was nothing we could have
done to redeem ourselves. "All were held captive by the devil", St Augustine com-
ments, "and were in the thrall of demons; but they have been rescued from that
captivity. The Redeemer came and paid the ransom: he shed his blood and with
it purchased the entire orb of the earth" ("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 95, 5).

Not content with setting us free from our sins, our Lord gave us a share in his
kingship and priesthood. "Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men (cf.
Heb 5:1-5), made the new people 'a kingdom of priests to his God and Father'
(Rev 1:6; cf. 5:9-10). The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy
Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through
all the works of Christian men and women they may offer spiritual sacrifices and
proclaim the perfection of him who has called them out of darkness into his mar-
velous light (cf. 1 Pet 2:4-10)" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 10).

7. Christ's work is not finished. He has assembled his holy people on earth to
bring them enduring salvation, and he will be revealed in all his glory to the whole
world at the end of time. Although the text speaks in the present tense--"he is
coming with the clouds"--this should be understood as referring to the future: the
prophet was seeing future events as if they were actually happening (cf. Dan 7:13).
This will be the day of final victory, when those who crucified Jesus, "every one
who pierced him" (cf. Zech 12:10; Jn 19:37), will be astonished by the grandeur
and glory of the crucified One. "The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are
two comings of the Son of God--one when he assumed human flesh for our salva-
tion in the womb of a virgin; the other when he shall come at the end of the world
to judge all mankind [...]; and if, from the beginning of the world that day of the
Lord, on which he was clothed with our flesh, was sighed for by all as the founda-
tion of their hope of deliverance; so also, after the death and ascension of the Son
of God, we should make that other day of the Lord the object of our most earnest
desires, 'awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God'
(Titus 2:13)" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 8, 2).

Commenting on this passage of the Apocalypse, St Bede says: "He who at his
first coming came in a hidden way and in order to be judged (by men) will then
come in a manifest way. (John) recalls these truths in order to help the Church
bear its suffering: now it is being persecuted by its enemies, later it will reign at
Christ's side" ("Explanatio Apocalypsis", 1, 1).

The joy of those who put their hope in this glorious manifestation of Christ will
contrast with the pains of those who reject God's love and mercy to the very end.
"Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Mt 24:30).

8. The coming of the Lord in glory, the climax of his dominion, is guaranteed by
the power of God, the absolute master of the world and its destiny. Alpha and
Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; here they are used
to proclaim that God is the beginning and end of all things, of the world and of
history; he is present at all times -- times past, present and future.


Gospel Reading: Luke 4:16-21

Jesus Preaches in Nazareth
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[16] And He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and He
went to the synagogue, as His custom was, on the Sabbath Day. And He stood
up to read; [17] and there was given to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He
opened the book and found the place where it was written, [18] "The Spirit of the
Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, [19] to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord." [20] And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant,
and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. [21] And
He began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
[22] And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious words which pro-
ceeded out of His mouth; and they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"

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Commentary:

16-30. For the Jews the Sabbath was a day of rest and prayer, as God comman-
ded (Exodus 20:8-11). On that day they would gather together to be instructed
in Sacred Scripture. At the beginning of this meeting they all recited the "Shema",
a summary of the precepts of the Lord, and the "eighteen blessings". Then a pas-
sage was read from the Book of the Law--the Pentateuch--and another from the
Prophets. The president invited one of those present who was well versed in the
Scriptures to address the gathering. Sometimes someone would volunteer and
request the honor of being allowed to give this address--as must have happened
on this occasion. Jesus avails Himself of this opportunity to instruct the people
(cf. Luke 4:16ff), as will His Apostles later on (cf. Acts 13:5, 14, 42, 44; 14:1;
etc.). The Sabbath meeting concluded with the priestly blessing, recited by the
president or by a priest if there was one present, to which the people answered
"Amen" (cf. Numbers 6:22ff).

18-21. Jesus read the passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 where the prophet announces
the coming of the Lord, who will free His people of their afflictions. In Christ this
prophecy finds its fulfillment, for He is the Anointed, the Messiah whom God has
sent to His people in their tribulation. Jesus has been anointed by the Holy Spirit
for the mission the Father has entrusted to Him. "These phrases, according to
Luke (verses 18-19), are His first messianic declaration. They are followed by the
actions and words known through the Gospel. By these actions and words Christ
makes the Father present among men" (John Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia", 3).

The promises proclaimed in verses 18 and 19 are the blessings God will send His
people through the Messiah. According to Old Testament tradition and Jesus'
own preaching (cf. note on Matthew 5:3), "the poor" refers not so much to a parti-
cular social condition as to a very religious attitude of indigence and humility to-
wards God, which is to be found in those who, instead of relying on their
possessions and merits, trust in God's goodness and mercy. Thus, preaching
good news to the poor means bringing them the "good news" that God has taken
pity on them. Similarly, the Redemption, the release, which the text mentions, is
to be understood mainly in a spiritual, transcendental sense: Christ has come to
free us from the blindness and oppression of sin, which, in the last analysis, is
slavery imposed on us by the devil. "Captivity can be felt", St. John Chrysostom
teaches in a commentary on Psalm 126, "when it proceeds from physical enemies,
but the spiritual captivity referred to here is worse; sin exerts a more severe tyranny,
evil takes control and blinds those who lend it obedience; from this spiritual prison
Jesus Christ rescued us" ("Catena Aurea"). However, this passage is also in line
with Jesus' special concern for those most in need. "Similarly, the Church
encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery and she
recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer the image of her poor and suf-
fering Founder. She does all in her power to relieve their need and in them she
strives to serve Christ" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 8).

18-19. The words of Isaiah which Christ read out on this occasion describe very
graphically the reason why God has sent His Son into the world--to redeem men
from sin, to liberate them from slavery to the devil and from eternal death. It is
true that in the course of His public ministry Christ, in His mercy, worked many
cures, cast out devils, etc. But He did not cure all the sick people in the world,
nor did He eliminate all forms of distress in this life, because pain, which entered
the world through sin, has a permanent redemptive value when associated with
the sufferings of Christ. Therefore, Christ worked miracles not so much to re-
lease the people concerned from suffering, as to demonstrate that He had a
God-given mission to bring everyone to eternal salvation.

The Church carries on this mission of Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). These simple
and sublime words, which conclude the Gospel of St. Matthew, point out "the
obligation to preach the truths of faith, the need for sacramental life, the promise
of Christ's continual assistance to His Church. You cannot be faithful to our Lord
if you neglect these supernatural demands--to receive instruction in Christian faith
and morality and to frequent the Sacraments. It is with this mandate that Christ
founded His Church [...]. And the Church can bring salvation to souls only if she
remains faithful to Christ in her constitution and teaching, both dogmatic and
moral.

"Let us reject, therefore, the suggestion that the Church, ignoring the Sermon
on the Mount, seeks a purely human happiness on earth, since we know that
her only task is to bring men to eternal glory in Heaven. Let us reject any purely
naturalistic view that fails to value the supernatural role of divine grace. Let us
reject materialistic opinions that exclude spiritual values from human life. Let us
equally reject any secularizing theory which attempts to equate the aims of the
Church with those of earthly states, distorting its essence, institutions and activi-
ties into something similar to those of temporal society" ([Blessed] J. Escriva,
"In Love with the Church", 23 and 31).

18. The Fathers of the Church see in this verse a reference to the three persons
of the Holy Trinity: the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) of the Lord (the Father) is upon Me
(the Son); cf. Origen, "Homily 32". The Holy Spirit dwelt in Christ's soul from the
very moment of the Incarnation and descended visibly upon Him in the form of a
dove when He was baptized by John (cf. Luke 3:21-22).

"Because He has anointed Me": this is a reference to the anointing Jesus received
at the moment of His Incarnation, principally through the grace of the hypostatic
union. "This anointing of Jesus Christ was not an anointing of the body as in the
case of the ancient kings, priests and prophets; rather it was entirely spiritual and
divine, because the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him substantially" ("St. Pius
X Catechism", 77). From this hypostatic union the fullness of all graces derives.
To show this, Jesus Christ is said to have been anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself
--not just to have received the graces and gifts of the Spirit, like the saints.

19. "The acceptable year": this is a reference to the jubilee year of the Jews, which
the Law of God (Leviticus 25:8) lays down as occurring every fifty years, symbolizing
the era of redemption and liberation which the Messiah would usher in. The era in-
augurated by Christ, the era of the New Law extending to the end of the world, is
"the acceptable year", the time of mercy and redemption, which will be obtained
definitively in Heaven.

The Catholic Church's custom of the "Holy Year" is also designed to proclaim and
remind people of the redemption brought by Christ, and of the full form it will take
in the future life.

20-22. Christ's words in verse 21 show us the authenticity with which He preached
and explained the Scriptures: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Jesus teaches that this prophecy, like the other main prophecies in the Old Testa-
ment, refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (cf. Luke 24:44ff). Thus, the Old
Testament can be rightly understood only in the light of the New--as the risen Christ
showed the Apostles when He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (cf.
Luke 24:45), an understanding which the Holy Spirit perfected on the day of Pente-
cost (cf. Acts 2:4).

22-29. At first the people of Nazareth listened readily to the wisdom of Jesus' words.
But they were very superficial; in their narrow-minded pride they felt hurt that Jesus,
their fellow-townsman, had not worked in Nazareth the wonders He had worked else-
where. They presume they have a special entitlement and they insolently demand
that He perform miracles to satisfy their vanity, not to change their hearts. In view
of their attitude, Jesus performs no miracle (His normal response to lack of faith: cf.,
for example, His meeting with Herod in Luke 23:7-11); He actually reproaches them,
using two examples taken from the Old Testament (cf. 1 Kings 17:9 and 2 Kings
5:14), which show that one needs to be well-disposed if miracles are to lead to faith.
His attitude so wounds their pride that they are ready to kill Him. This whole epi-
sode is a good lesson about understanding Jesus. We can understand Him only if
we are humble and are genuinely resolved to make ourselves available to Him.

II. Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper 

1st Reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

The Institution of the Passover
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[1] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, [2] "This month
shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year
for you. [3] Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month
they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for
a household; [4] and if the household is too small for alamb, then a man and
his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons;
according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. [5]
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from
the sheep or from the goats; [6] and you shall keep it until, the fourteenth day
of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill
their lambs in the evening. [7] Then they shall take some of the blood, and put
it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. [8]
They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs they shall eat it. [11] In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded,
your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in
haste. It is the Lord's passover. [12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt
that night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and
beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
[13] The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and
when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you
to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

[14] "This day shalt be for you a memorial day, and you shalt keep it as a
feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an
ordinance for ever."

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Commentary:

12:1-14 This discourse of the Lord contains a number of rules for celebrating the
Passover and the events commemorated in it; it is a kind of catechetical-liturgical
text which admirably summarizes the profound meaning of that feast.

The Passover probably originated as a shepherds' feast held in springtime, when
lambs are born and the migration to summer pastures was beginning; a new-born
lamb was sacrificed and its blood used to perform a special rite in petition for the
protection and fertility of the flocks. But once this feast became connected with
the history of the Exodus it acquired a much deeper meaning, as did the rites
attaching to it.

Thus, the "congregation" (v. 3) comprises all the Israelites organized as a reli-
gious community to commemorate the most important event in their history,
deliverance from bondage.

The victim will be a lamb, without blemish (v. 5) because it is to be offered to
God. Smearing the doorposts and lintel with the blood of the victim (vv 7, 13),
an essential part of the rite, signifies protection from dangers. The Passover is
essentially sacrificial from the very start. The meal (v. 11) is also a necessary
part, and the manner in which it is held is a very appropriate way of showing
the urgency imposed by circumstances: there is no time to season it (v. 9);
no other food is eaten with it, except for the bread and desert herbs (a sign of
indigence); the dress and posture of those taking part (standing, wearing san-
dals and holding a staff) show that they are on a journey. In the later liturgical
commemoration of the Passover, these things indicate that the Lord is passing
among his people.

The rules laid down for the Passover are evocative of very ancient nomadic
desert rites, where there was no priest or temple or altar. When the Israelites
had settled in Palestine, the Passover continued to be celebrated at home,
always retaining the features of a sacrifice, a family meal and, very especially,
a memorial of the deliverance the Lord brought about on that night.

Our Lord chose the context of the Passover Supper to institute the Eucharist:
"By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover
meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing
over to his Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is antici-
pated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish
Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the
kingdom" ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", 1340).

12:2. This event is so important that it is going to mark the starting point in
the reckoning of time. In the history of Israel there are two types of calendar,
both based on the moon--one which begins the year in the autumn, after the
feast of Weeks (cf. 23:16; 34:22), and the other beginning it in spring, between
March and April. This second calendar probably held sway for quite a long time,
for we know that the first month, known, as Abib (spring)--cf. 13:4: 23:18; 34:18
-- was called, in the post-exilic period (from the 6th century BC onwards) by
the Babylonian name of Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esther 3:7). Be that as it may, the fact
that this month is called the first month is a way of highlighting the importance
of the event which is going to be commemorated (the Passover).

12:11. Even now it is difficult to work out the etymology of the word "Passover".

In other Semitic languages it means "joy" or "festive joy" or also "ritual and
festive leap". In the Bible the same root means "dancing or limping" in an idola-
trous rite (cf. 1 Kings 18:21, 26) and "protecting" (cf. Is 31:5), so it could mean
"punishment, lash" and also "salvation, protection". In the present text the writer
is providing a popular, non-scholarly etymology, and it is taken as meaning that
"the Lord passes through", slaying Egyptians and sparing the Israelites.

In the New Testament it will be applied to Christ's passage to the Father by
death and resurrection, and the Church's "passage" to the eternal Kingdom:
"The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover,
when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection" ("Catechism of the
Catholic Church", 677).

12:14. The formal tone of these words gives an idea of the importance the Pass-
over always had. If the historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings)
hardly mention it, the reason is that they allude only to sacrifices in the temple,
and the Passover was always celebrated in people's homes. When the temple
ceased to be (6th century BC), the feast acquired more prominence, as can be
seen from the post-exilic biblical texts (cf. Ezra 6:19-22; 2 Chron 30:1-27;
35:1-19) and extrabiblical texts such as the famous "Passover papyrus of Ele-
phantine" (Egypt) of the 5th century BC. In Jesus' time a solemn passover
sacrifice was celebrated in the temple and the passover meal was held at
home.

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The Institution of the Eucharist
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[23] For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord
Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, [24] and when He had
given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body which is for you. Do
this in remembrance of Me." [25] In the same way also the cup, after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of Me." [26] For as often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

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Commentary:

23-26. These verses clearly bear witness to the early Christians' faith in the
eucharistic mystery. St. Paul is writing around the year 57--only twenty-seven
years since the institution of the Eucharist--reminding the Corinthians of what
they had been taught some years earlier (c. the year 51). The words "received"
and "delivered" are technical terms used to indicate that a teaching is part of
apostolic Tradition; cf. also 1 Corinthians 15:3. These two passages highlight
the importance of that apostolic Tradition. The words "I received from the Lord"
are a technical expression which means "I received through that Tradition which
goes back to the Lord Himself."

There are three other New Testament accounts of the institution of the Eucharist
(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:16-20). This account, which is most
like St. Luke's, is the earliest of the four.

The text contains the fundamental elements of Christian faith in the mystery of
the Eucharist: 1) the institution of this Sacrament by Jesus Christ and His real
presence in it; 2) the institution of the Christian priesthood; 3) the Eucharist is
the sacrifice of the New Testament (cf. notes on Matthew 26:26-29; Mark
14:22-25; Luke 22:16-20; 1 Corinthians 10:14-22).

"Do this in remembrance of Me": in instituting the Eucharist, our Lord charged
that it be re-enacted until the end of time (cf. Luke 22:19), thereby instituting the
priesthood. The Council of Trent teaches that Jesus Christ our Lord, at the Last
Supper, "offered His body and blood under the species of bread and wine to God
the Father and He gave His body and blood under the same species to the Apos-
tles to receive, making them priests of the New Testament at that time. [...] He
ordered the Apostles and their successors in the priesthood to offer this Sacra-
ment when He said, "Do this in remembrance of Me", as the Catholic Church has
always understood and taught" ("De SS. Missae Sacrificio", Chapter 1; cf. Canon
2). And so, Pope John Paul II teaches, the Eucharist is "the principal and central
reason-of-being of the Sacrament of the priesthood, which effectively came into
being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist, and together with it"
("Letter To All Bishops", 24 February 1980).

The word "remembrance" is charged with the meaning of a Hebrew word which
was used to convey the essence of the feast of the Passover -- commemoration
of the exodus from Egypt. For the Israelites the Passover rite not only reminded
them of a bygone event: they were conscious of making that event present, revi-
ving it, in order to participate in it, in some way, generation after generation (cf.
Exodus 12:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:20-25). So, when our Lord commands His
Apostles to "do this in remembrance of Me", it is not a matter of merely recalling
His supper but of renewing His own Passover sacrifice of Calvary, which already,
at the Last Supper, was present in an anticipated way.

Gospel Reading: John 13:1-15

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
-------------------------------------------------
[1] Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had
come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were
in the world, He loved them to the end. [2] And during supper, when the devil
had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,
[3] Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that
He had come from God and was going to God, [4] rose from supper, laid aside
His garments, and girded Himself with a towel. [5] Then He poured water into
a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel
with which He was girded. [6] He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to Him,
"Lord, do You wash my feet?" [7] Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you
do not know now, but afterward you will understand." [8] Peter said to Him,
"You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you,
you have no part in Me." [9] Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only
but also my hands and my head!" [10] Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed
does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are
clean, but not all of you." [11] For He knew who was to betray Him; that was
why He said, "You are not all clean."

[12] When He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and resumed
His place, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done for you? [13] You
call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. [14] If then your Lord
and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
[15] For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done
for you."

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1. Jewish families sacrificed a lamb on the eve of the Passover, in keeping with
God's command at the time of the exodus from Egypt when God liberated them
from the slavery of Pharaoh (Exodus 12:3-14; Deuteronomy 16:1-8). This libera-
tion prefigured that which Jesus Christ would bring about--the redemption of men
from the slavery of sin by means of His sacrifice on the cross (cf. 1:29). This is
why the celebration of the Jewish Passover was the ideal framework for the
institution of the new Christian Passover.

1. 유다인들의 가정들은, 하느님께서 그들을 파라오(Pharaoh)의 노예 상태로부터 
해방시키셨던 때인 이집트로부터 탈출의 시기에 주어진 하느님의 명령에 일치하여
(탈출 12,3-14; 신명 16,1-8), 과월절(Passover, 파스카)의 밤에 한 마리의 어린 
양을 희생 제물로 바쳤습니다. 바로 이 해방은 예수 그리스도께서 가져오실 바로 
그 해방을, 즉 십자가 위에서 당신의 희생에 의하여 죄의 노예 상태로부터 사람들의 
속량을(1,29를 참조하라) 예표하였습니다(prefigured). 바로 이것이 유다인들의 
과월절(파스카) 경축이 새로운 그리스도인들의 과월절(퍄스카)의 제정을 위한 
이상적인 틀(framework)이었던 이유입니다. 

Jesus knew everything that was going to happen; He knew His death and re-
surrection were imminent (cf. 18:4); this is why His words acquire a special
tone of intimacy and love towards those whom He is leaving behind in the world.
Surrounded by those whom He has chosen and who have believed in Him, He
gives them His final teachings and institutes the Eucharist, the source and cen-
ter of the life of the Church. "He Himself wished to give that encounter such a
fullness of meaning, such a richness of memories, such a moving image of
words and thoughts, such a newness of acts and precepts, that we can never
exhaust our reflection and exploration of it. It was a testamentary supper, infi-
nitely affectionate and immensely sad, and at the same time a mysterious
revelation of divine promises, of supreme visions. Death was imminent, with
silent omens of betrayal, of abandonment, of immolation; the conversation dies
down but Jesus continues to speak in words that are new and beautifully reflec-
tive, in almost supreme intimacy, almost hovering between life and death"
([Pope] Paul VI, "Homily on Holy Thursday", 27 March 1975).

예수님께서는 조만간 발생할 모든 것을 아셨으며, 그리고 당신께서는 당신의 죽음과 
부활이 임박하였음을 아셨는데(18,4 참조), 바로 이것이 당신의 말씀들이 당신께서 
이 세상에 남겨 두실 자들을 향하는 친밀함(intimacy)과 사랑(love)의 어떤 특별한 
어투(tone)을 지니게 되는 이유입니다. 당신께서 이미 선택하셨던 그리고 당신을 
이미 믿고 있는 자들에 의하여 둘러싸여, 당신께서는 그들에게 당신의 최후의 
가르침들을 주시며 그리고, 교회의 삶의 원천이고 중심인, 성체성사를 제정하십니다. 
"당신께서는 몸소 우리가 그것에 대한 우리들의 숙고(reflection)와 탐구(exploration)를 
결코 소진시킬 수 없는, 의미의 충만함과 같은, 기억들의 풍부함과 같은, 말들과 
사고들의 어떤 감동을 주는 모습과 같은, 법령(acts)들과 규범(precepts)들의 
어떤 새로움과 같은, 바로 그러한 마추침을 제공하시는 것을 바라셨습니다. 그것은, 
무한하게 애정이 깊은 그리고 한없이 슬픈, 한 개의 유언의 만찬이었으며, 그리고 
동시에 하느님의 약속들의, 지고의 환시들의, 어떤 신비로운 드러냄이었습니다. 
죽음은, 배반이라는, 포기라는, 제물(immolation)이라는, 침묵의 조짐(omens)들과 
함께, 임박하였으며, 그리하여 대화는 점점 조용해지나 그러나 예수님께서는, 거의 
지고의 친밀함 안에서, 삶과 죽음 사이에서 거의 맴도는, 새로우며 그리고 아름답게 
숙고적인 말씀들로 계속하여 말씀하십니다" [[교황] 바오로 6세)([Pope] Paul VI), 
"Homily on Holy Thursday", 27 March 1975].

What Christ did for His own may be summed up in this sentence: "He loved
them to the end." It shows the intensity of His love--which brings Him even to
give up His life (cf. John 15:13); but this love does not stop with His death, for
Christ lives on and after His resurrection He continues loving us infinitely: "It
was not only thus far that He loved us, who always and forever loves us. Far
be it from us to imagine that He made death the end of His loving, who did not
make death the end of His living" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang.", 55, 2).

그리스도께서 당신 자신을 위하여 행하셨던 바는 다음과 같은 문장으로 요약될 
수도 있을 것입니다: "그분께서는 끝까지 그들을 사랑하셨습니다(love)." 이것은,  
심지어 당신의 목숨을 포기하도록 이끄는(요한 복음서 15,13을 참조하라), 당신의 
사랑(love)의 강도를 보여주나, 그러나 바로 이러한 사랑은 당신의 죽음과 함께 
멈추지 않는데, 이는 다음과 같이 그리스도께서는 살아 계시며 그리고 당신의 
부활 이후에 당신께서 무한하게 우리를 사랑하심을 계속하시기 때문입니다: 
"그것은 당신께서 우리들을 과거에 사랑하셨던 단지 바로 그러한 정도의 멀리가 
아니었는데, 이는 그분께서 우리들을 항상 그리고 영원히 사랑하시기(love) 
때문입니다. 당신께서 죽음을 당신의 사랑하심(His loving)의 끝으로 만드셨음을 
상상하는 것은 우리들로부터 멀리에 있는데, 이는 그분께서 죽음을 당신의 
살아계심(His living)의 끝으로 만들지 않으셨기 때문입니다" [성 아우구스티노
(St. Augustine), "In Ioann. Evang.", 55, 2].

2. The Gospel shows us the presence and activity of the devil running right
through Jesus' life (cf. Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 22:3; John 8:44; 12:31; etc.).
Satan is the enemy (Matthew 13:39), the evil one (1 John 2:13). St. Thomas
Aquinas (cf. "Commentary on St. John, in loc.") points out that, in this passage,
on the one hand, we clearly see the malice of Judas, who fails to respond to
this demonstration of love, and on the other hand great emphasis is laid on the
goodness of Christ, which reaches out beyond Judas' malice by washing his
feet also and by treating him as a friend right up to the moment when he betrays
Him (Luke 22:48).

2. 이 복음서는 예수님의 삶을 줄곧(right) 관통하는 악마의 현존과 활동을 우리들에게 
보여줍니다(마태오 복음서 4,1-11; 루카 복음서 22,3; 요한 복음서 8,44; 12,31 등을 
참조하라). 사탄(Satan)은 원수(the enemy)이고 (마태오 복음서 13,39), 악한 자
(the evil one)(1요한 2,13)입니다. 성 토마스 아퀴나스(St. Thomas Aquinas)는 
["Commentary on St. John, in loc."(제1741항)을 참조하라], 바로 이 구절에서, 
한편으로, 우리가, 사랑(love)에 대한 바로 이러한 입증(demonstration)에 응답하는 
데에 실패하는, 유다(Judas)의 악의(malice)를 분명하게 보며, 그리고 다른 한편으로, 
그의 발들을 또한 씻으심으로써 그리고 그가 당신을 배반하는 시점인 바로 그 순간에 
이르기까지(루카 22,48) 줄곧 한 명의 친구로서 그를 대우하심으로써 유다의 악의를 
넘어서 뻗는, 그리스도의 선함(goodness)에 커다란 강조가 주어짐을 지적합니다. 

3-6. Aware that He is the Son of God, Jesus voluntarily humbles Himself to the
point of performing a service appropriate to household servants. This passage
recalls the Christological hymn in St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians: "Christ
Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant..."
(Philippians 2:6-7).

3-6. 당신이 하느님의 아드님이심을 아시면서, 예수님께서는 식솔의 종들에게 
적합한 어떤 섬김을 수행하는 정도에까지 자발적으로 당신 자신을 낮추십니다. 
바로 이 구절은 필리피인들에게 보낸 성 바오로(St. Paul)의 서간에 있는 다음과 
같은 그리스도론적 찬미가(Christological hymn)를 상기시킵니다: "그분께서는 
하느님의 모습을 지니셨지만 하느님과 같음을 당연한 것으로 여기지 않으시고 
오히려 당신 자신을 비우시어 종의 모습을 취하시고 사람들과 같이 되셨습니다" 
(필리피 2,6-7).

Christ had said that He came to the world not to be served but to serve (Mark
10:45). In this scene He teaches us the same thing, through specific example,
thereby exhorting us to serve each other in all humility and simplicity (cf. Gala-
tians 6:2; Philippians 2:3). "Once again He preaches by example, by His deeds.
In the presence of His disciples, who are arguing out of pride and vanity, Jesus
bows down and gladly carries out the task of a servant.[...] This tactfulness of
our Lord moves me deeply. He does not say: 'If I do this, how much more ought
you to do?' He puts Himself at their level, and He lovingly chides those men for
their lack of generosity.

그리스도께서는 당신께서 이 세상에 섬김을 받으러 오신 것이 아니라 섬기러 오셨다
(마르코 10,45)고 이미 말씀하셨습니다. 지금 이 장면에서 당신께서는, 구체적인 
모범(example)을 통하여, 우리들에게 동일한 것을 가르치시며, 바로 그것에 의하여 
우리들에게 모든 겸손(humility)과 성실(simplicity)로 서로를 섬길 것을 권고하십니다
(갈라티아 6,2; 필리피 2,3 참조). "다시 한 번 더 당신께서는 모범으로써. 당신의 
행위(deeds)들로써, 설교하십니다. 예수님께서는, 교만(pride)과 허영(vanity)에 
때문에 논쟁 중이던 당신의 제자들의 면전에서, 절을 하시고 그리고 한 명의 종
(servant)의 임무를 기쁘게 수행하십니다. [...] 바로 이러한 우리의 주님의 
재치있으심(tactfulness)이 저를 깊게 감동시키는데, 당신께서는 다음과 같이 
말씀하지 않으십니다: '내가 이것을 행한다고 한다면, 너희들은 얼마나 더 많이 
마땅히 행하여야 하느냐?' 당신께서는 그들의 수준에 당신 자신을 내려놓으시며, 
그리하여 당신께서는 바로 이 사람들을 그들의 관대함의 결여에 대하여 애정있게 
꾸짖으십니다.

"As He did with the first twelve, so also, with us, our Lord can and does whisper
in our ear, time and again: 'exemplum dedi vobis' (John 13:15), I have given you
an example of humility. I have become a slave, so that you too may learn to
serve all men with a meek and humble heart" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God",
103).

당신께서 첫 열 둘을 다루셨듯이, 또한 마찬자기로, 우리들을 다루시는, 우리의 
주님께서는 우리의 귀에 몇 번이고(time and again) 다음과 같이 속삭일 수 있으시고 
그리고 속삭이십니다: 'exemplum dedi vobis (I have given you an example.)' 
(요한 복음서 13,15), 내가 너희들에게 겸손의 모범 한 개를 이미 제시하였다, 
너희들도 또한 온유하고 겸손한 심장과 함께 모든 사람들을 섬기는 것을 배울 수 
있도록, 나는 한 명의 종이 이미 되었다" [성 호세마리아 에스크리바( St. J. Escriva), 
"Friends of God", 103].

Peter understands particularly well how thoroughly our Lord has humbled Him-
self, and he protests, in the same kind of way as he did on other occasions,
that he will not hear of Christ suffering (cf. Matthew 8:32 and par.). St. Augus-
tine comments: "Who would not shrink back in dismay from having his feet
washed by the Son of God....You? Me? Words to be pondered on rather than
spoken about, lest words fail to express their true meaning" (St. Augustine,
"In Ioann. Evang.", 56,1).

베드로(Peter)는 얼마나 철저하게 우리의 주님께서 당신 자신을 낮추셨는지 특히 잘 
이해하며, 그리하여 그는, 다른 경우들에 직면하여 그가 행하였던 방식에 있어서의 
동일한 종류로, 그리스도께서 고통을 받으심에 대하여 그가 듣지 않을 것이라고 
항의합니다(마태오 복음서 8,32 및 병행절을 참조하라). 성 아우구스티노(St. 
Augustine)는 다음과 같이 주석합니다: "누구가 하느님의 아드님(성자)에 의하여 
자신의 발들이 씻기게 되는 것으로부터 두려워하며(in dismay) 뒷걸음질 치지 않을 
것인지요 ... 그대입니까? 저입니까? 말들이 그들의 참된 의미를 표현하는 것에 
실패할 것을 염려하여, 말들이 그것에 대하여 말해지는 것보다는 오히려 곰곰히 
생각하게 되어야(to be pondered on) 할 것입니다" [성 아우구스티노(St. Augustine), 
"In Ioann. Evang.", 56,1].

7-14. Our Lord's gesture had a deeper significance than St. Peter was able to
grasp at this point; nor could he have suspected that God planned to save men
through the sacrificing of Christ (cf. Matthew 16:22 ff). After the Resurrection
the Apostles understood the mystery of this service rendered by the Redeemer:
by washing their feet, Jesus was stating in a simple and symbolic way that He
had not come "to be served but to serve". His service, as He already told them,
consists in giving "His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

7-14. 우리의 주님의 몸짓은 성 베드로가 바로 이 지점에서 붙잡을 수 있었던 것보다 
더 깊은 중요성을 가지고 있었으며, 그리고 하느님께서 그리스도를 희생 제물로 
삼으심을 통하여 사람들을 구하시고자(to save) 계획하셨음을 그가 짐작하였을 수 
없었을 것입니다 (마태오 16,22 및 이어지는 몇 개의 절들을 참조하라). 당신의 부활 
이후에 사도들은 구속주(the Redeemer)에 의하여 제공되었던 바로 이 섬김(service)의 
오적(奧跡, 신비, mystery)을 이해하였는데, 그들의 발들을 씻기심으로써, 예수님께서는 
어떤 단순한 그리고 상징적인 방식으로 당신께서 "섬김을 받기 위하여서가 아니라 
섬기기 위하여" 이미 오셨음을 설명하고 계십니다. 당신의 섬김은, 당신께서 이미 
그들에게 말씀하셨듯이, "많은 이들의 몸값으로 당신의 목숨"을 제공하시는 것
(마태오 20,28; 마르코 10,45)을 주된 부분으로 가지고 있습니다.

Our Lord tells the Apostles that they are now clean, for they have accepted His
words and have followed Him (cf. 15:3)--all but Judas, who plans to betray Him.
St. John Chrysostom comments as follows: "You are already clean because of
the word that I have spoken to you. That is: You are clean only to that extent.
You have already received the Light; you have already got rid of the Jewish error.
The Prophet asserted: 'Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the
evil from your souls' (Isaiah 1:16).... Therefore, since they had rooted evil from
their souls and were following Him with complete sincerity, He declared, in
accordance with the Prophet's words: 'He who has bathed is clean all over'" (St.
John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. John", 70, 3).

우리의 주님께서는 사도들에게 그들이 이제 깨끗하다고 말씀하시는데, 이는, 당신을 
배반하고자 계획을 세운 유다(Juda)를 제외한, 그들 모두가 당신의 말씀들을 이미 
받아들였고 그리고 당신을 이미 따랐기 때문입니다(15,3 참조). 성 요한 크리소스토모
(St. John Chrysostom)는 다음과 같이 주석합니다: "내가 그대에게 이미 말하였던 
말 때문에 그대는 이미 깨끗하다. 즉, 그대는 그대가 이미 거룩한 빛(the Light)을 받아들인 
바로 그 정도만큼 오로지 깨끗하며, 그리하여 그대는 이미 유다인들의 오류(Jewish 
error)를 제거하였다. 예언자는 다음과 같이 단언하였다: '너희 자신을 씻어 깨끗이 
하여라. 너희의 영혼들로부터 악한 것들을 제거하여라(remove the evil from your souls)' 
(이사야 1,16) ... 그러므로 그들이 자신들의 영혼들로부터 악을 이미 뿌리뽑아버렸고 
그리고 완전한 진솔함과 함께 당신을 따르고 있기에, 당신께서는, 이 예언자의 말들과 
일치하여, 다음과 같이 선언하셨던 것이다: '목욕을 한 이는 온 몸이 깨끗하다'"
[성 요한 크리소스토모(St. John Chrysostom), "Hom. on St. John", 70, 3].

15-17. Jesus' whole life was an example of service towards men, fulfilling His
Father's will to the point of dying on the Cross. Here our Lord promises us that
if we imitate Him, our Teacher, in disinterested service (which always implies
sacrifice), we will find true happiness which no one can wrest from us (cf. 16:22;
17:13). "'I have given you an example', He tells His disciples after washing their
feet, on the night of the Last Supper. Let us reject from our hearts any pride,
any ambition, any desire to dominate; and peace and joy will reign around us
and within us, as a consequence of our personal sacrifice" (St. J. Escriva,
"Christ Is Passing By", 94).

15-17. 예수님의 전체 삶은, 십자가 위에서 죽는 정도까지 당신의 성부의 의지를 
구현하는, 사람들을 향한 섬김의 한 예(an example)이었습니다. 여기서 우리의 
주님께서는 만약에 우리가 (희생을 항상 의미하는) 이해 관계 없는(disinterested) 
섬김에 있어 우리의 스승이신 당신을 본받으면, 우리는 아무도 우리들로부터 빼앗을 
수 없는 (16,22; 17,13 참조) 참된 행복을 장차 발견할 것임을 약속하십니다. "'내가 
본을 보여준 것이다' 라고 당신께서는, 최후의 만찬의 밤에, 그들의 발들을 씻으신 
후에 당신의 제자들에게 말씀하십니다. 교만(pride), 모든 야망(ambition), 우위를 
차지하고자 하는 모든 욕망(desire to dominate)을 우리의 심장(hearts)들로부터 
거절하도록 하고, 그리고 평화와 기쁨(joy)이, 우리의 인격적(personal) 희생의 어떤 
결과로서, 우리들 주변 및 우리들 안에서 장차 지배하도록(reign) 합시다" 
[성 호세마리아 에스크리바(St. J. Escriva), "Christ Is Passing By", 94].

*********************************************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 
출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다. 그리고 본문 중의 우리말 번역문에 
대한 저작권은 엮은이에게 있으며, 본문 중의 우리말 번역문들을 복사하여 가져가는 것을
허락하지 않습니다.]