Humble Service Wey Eucharist Dey Nourish

Thursday, April 18, 2019

“Na my body be dis, wey be for una. Make una do dis to remember me.” 1 Cor. 11:24

Today, we dey begin di Triduum – di three great celebrations of our Catholic faith. Yes, plenty celebrations dey happen throughout di year. But na these three celebrations be di heart of our faith, and na for dem all our worship reach di highest point. Today, we dey begin with di celebration of di Lord gift of di Most Holy Eucharist, wey E give us through di priesthood wey E establish. Tomorrow, we go enter into di mystery of how dem nail Am to di Cross. For Saturday, after sun don set, we go enter into di glory of His Resurrection.

For Holy Thursday evening, we dey begin di Triduum as we remember di Last Supper. Dis event for history, wey happen as Jesus and Im Apostles share di Passover meal, na di beginning of di gift wey dey bring salvation come meet us.

For Holy Thursday, we dey hear di Lord talk for di first time, “Na my body be dis, wey be for una.” We dey hear am point to di Holy Eucharist as di gift wey E give us, so we go dey holy and our life go complete. Na gift wey we no go ever fit understand finish. Na di gift of how E give Im whole self and love us with sacrificial love.

If only we fit understand di Eucharist! If only we fit understand this precious and holy gift! Di Eucharist na God Himself, wey dey present for our world, and wey dem give us to change us into wetin we dey receive as food. Di Eucharist truly dey change us into Christ Himself. As we dey receive di Holy Eucharist as food, E dey draw us into di divine life of di Most Holy Trinity. E dey make us one with God and give us di food of eternity.

For that first Holy Thursday, Jesus still give us example of perfect humility and service wey E call us to follow as we become one with Am. E wash His Apostles feet to teach dem and us say E give us His Body and Blood so that we go fit love as E love. Di Eucharist dey change us into true servants wey E call to get humble heart. E call us to serve other people with humble heart. This service go take different forms, but na wetin E call us to do.

You dey serve di people wey dey around you? You dey humble yourself before other people so you go fit care for their most basic needs? You dey use your actions show dem say you love dem? Na dis be di main thing wey Holy Thursday dey teach us. Humble service na beautiful way to show di close union wey we get with di Son of God.

Plenty times, people no dey understand wetin true “greatness” mean. People often dey see greatness according to how di world understand success and di way people dey admire person. Too many times, we want make other people admire wetin we don achieve. But Jesus dey show us another way to understand greatness. For Holy Thursday, E show say na for dis humble act of service we dey find true greatness. To follow Im example, we must let go of our pride. And dis dey possible when we receive di Holy Eucharist with faith. Di Eucharist dey give us di ability to love and serve other people for dis humble way. And dat love and service na act wey go win other people their hearts and souls for di Kingdom of God.

As we dey celebrate Holy Thursday, all of us get di challenge to tink deep about how humble we be and to commit ourselves to give our whole self to other people, without holding anything back.

Dis night, think deep about whether you dey follow our Lord Im example of humility or not. You don commit yourself to dey find ways to serve other people, to show dem say you love dem and care for dem? Let Holy Thursday change you so you go fit follow di example of di great love wey Jesus show us for dis glorious night.

Lord, help me understand wetin e mean to be servant. Help me show this humility for wetin I dey do. Make di gift of Your most Sacred Body and Blood change me into di person wey You want make I be. Jesus, na You I trust.

More for Holy Week

Meditation with Prayer for Holy Thursday

Reflection Dem wey Resemble This One: