Holy Thursday: This is my Body...This is my Blood

Tonight we begin the Triduum. We begin those three days that we celebrate as a single event. Jesus will give us the Eucharist, suffer, die and be placed in the tomb within these few short hours. Jesus know this and so he begins the sacrifice:

It's time for the final and ultimate sacrifice to begin. I know my disciples won't fully understand what I am about to do but they are about to be ordained as priests of my new Church. In time, they will come to understand this. It it time. I pick up the bread, "Blessed are you Father of all creation for through your goodness we have this bread to offer." I begin breaking off pieces and pass them out to the disciples. "Take and eat; this IS my body which I give up for you." And now the wine. "Blessed are you Father of all creation for through your goodness we have this wine to offer." I begin passing the cup around to each of them. "Drink from it, all of you, for this IS my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of all for the forgiveness of sins."

It is complete. The Eucharist sacrifice has been done. I know they will repeat this perpetually until the end of time. First, it is time for me to begin this final journey. "I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."

As we enter the Mount of Olives I am feeling such a weight upon me. I'm scared and fearful. I have a sense of dread. I am so upset that I am shaking. I need my closest friends beside me. I need to talk to my Father. "Friends, tonight your faith is going to be put to the test. You are going to falter but don't be ashamed. Everything will be ok." Peter, being ever the leader says to me, ""Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be." But it will, Peter. I know it will. "Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."

I feel that sense of hopelessness again. I have to speak to my Father. I need His strength to have the courage to fulfill my mission here on earth.

In these next 36 hours I am going to be doing something unique for me. I will be making a second post this evening between 6 and 10PM. On Good Friday I will post an entry at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM as he struggles on his Way to Calvary and the final hours on the Cross. Until tonight...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 07:51 | link | comments |
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