Maundy (Holy) Thursday

Have you ever wondered why you come for Mass? Do you come merely to fulfil a Sunday obligation, or because a parent or family member forced you to, or because you are attracted to some friends and would want to hang out with them, or just to accompany your spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, or for some other reason? For some of us, Mass may have become "normal" or "usual" that we have begun to lose its true value and taken it for granted. But if we consider for a moment what the Mass means, then we will never call the Mass "normal," since every Mass challenges us to live fruitful and authentic lives as Jesus' disciples.

Whenever we celebrate the Mass we are celebrating the mystery of our salvation. In the First Reading. God commanded Moses and the Israelites to continue celebrating the Feast of the Passover so that they will remember how God saved them and liberated them from Egypt. Just as the Israelites remembered at every Feast of the Passover how God had saved them and liberated them from Egypt, we are reminded at every Mass of how God has saved us and is still saving us from the powers of darkness and evil, and giving us new life through his Son Jesus Christ. Also, the Mass reminds us of Jesus sacrifice of love on the cross. Jesus gave up his own life so all may live. When we participate at every Mass, we are challenged to give up our lives, to die to our sinfulness and selfishness, to die to our prejudice and hatred, to die to our pride and arrogance, so that all would come to know what it truly means to be a follower of Christ and live. Moreover, the Mass calls us to be of service to others, just as Jesus served all. Instead of seeking power and places of honour, instead of competing and arguing about who should have his feet washed, we should be following the example of Jesus, who humbled himself to wash the feet of those who we think are unworthy. In the Mass, there is no room for pride, arrogance, prejudice or power, there is only room for humble service.

Let us therefore thank Jesus for the gift of Himself and for the gift of the Mass. If we make effort to concentrate and participate at Mass, instead of allowing our minds to wander, get distracted with other things such as our handphones or other gadgets or even distracted with other persons, or become impatient with the time, we would slowly begin to appreciate the Mass. Let us make every effort to not just participate at Mass, but to live it where we are, and bring the Good News of Jesus to all around us.