Maunday Thursday: Jesus Our Bread

Today is the day of the "Maundy," the mandatum, "the new commandment" of love. It is the special day of friendship, and the traditional ceremonies of the day - the washing of feet, the blessing of oils for the sick, and so on - all reinforce that thought. Above all, it is the day of the banquet, the celebration of friends, in which our divine friend gives himself in the Eucharist, that we may dwell in him, and he in us. It is the moment of friends rejoicing together before the pain of tomorrow. Today is also the day where Jesus established the priesthood. Let us thank God for all these gifts for His Church.