The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. The events that led to the salvation of the human race culminated in the Easter Triduum. On Holy Thursday (which is today), the Church celebrates the Last Supper of her Lord. In this sacred rite, she commemorates three major events: the institution of the priesthood, the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and the new commandment of love given by the Lord. Our reflection would concentrate on the sacred priesthood.
During the Last supper with his apostles, Jesus instituted the new order of the sacred priesthood. By this act, he transformed the priesthood of the Old Testament (the Levitical priesthood or the Priesthood of Aaron) into the priesthood of Melchizedek. He Himself was born a priest in this new order, the reason the scripture identifies him as a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:17). His priesthood differs from that of Aaron in many ways.
Priesthood
While the priesthood of Aaron was transitory, that of Jesus is eternal. The priesthood of Aaron had an origin but the priesthood of Jesus has no beginning. For He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek, a priest of the Most High God, “without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, he remains a priest forever” (Heb. 7:3).
The Levitical priests needed animal victims or grains for their priestly sacrifices but Jesus the High Priest became the victim for his priestly sacrifice to His Father. Thus, in the priestly office of Jesus, the priesthood, according to Bishop Fulton Sheen, equals victimhood. Jesus bestowed this priesthood on his apostles at the Last Supper. He did not do this without an overwhelming reason.
He came that His people would have life abundantly (Jn. 10:10). For this reason, He intended that there would be in every generation, people, through whom He would sacramentally continue to offer the living sacrifice of His body and blood to the Father for the continued sanctification and ultimate salvation of man. What He did sacramentally at the Last Supper, He actuated in reality on Good Friday, namely, the supreme sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
Feed My Sheep
When Jesus told His apostles at the Last Supper, “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19), He did not only charge them to continue to celebrate the Eucharist, but also to be ready to even give up their lives for the spiritual wellbeing of His sheep. Recall His handover note to Peter: “Feed my sheep” (Jn. 21:17). It is against this background that the Church understands the salvation of souls as a supreme law.
Accordingly, when a priest, during the Holy Mass, pronounces the words of consecration, he does not just repeat the words of Christ but also re-enacts those words while making them his own. That is why he does not put the words of Christ in a reported speech but rather in a direct speech—“This is my body, which will be given up for you”. This is because he is a priest in persona Christi. Like Jesus, he announces at the same time his self-offering to God and to the Church. By these sacred words, the priest attests to his commitment to the fact that he is no more his own. He now lives wholly for God and for His people.
Yet a priest is human. He bears the burden of weakness like every man. Show him understanding. Support and encourage him. Above all, pray for him, for “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41).
