IN CHRIST ALONE!: MAUNDY THURSDAY

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

MAUNDY THURSDAY

It was already night time in Jerusalem and Jesus celebrates the Passover with His disciples... He took the Bread, blessed it, gave thanks and broke it, giving it to His friends: "TAKE THIS ALL OF YOU AND EAT IT, THIS IS MY BODY, GIVEN FOR YOU"...

After the supper, He took the chalice filled with wine, having given thanks and blessing it, He gave it to His friends, saying: "THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT AND EVERLASTING COVENANT WHICH IS SHED FOR YOU AND FOR ALL SO THAT SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN... DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME!"

After Instituting the SACRAMENT OF THE GREAT FEAST, THE DIVINE LITURGY OF THE MOST SUBLIME SACRIFICE OF HIS SALVIFIC LOVE He took off His outer garments, took an apron and He washed the feet of His friends... JESUS CAME TO SERVE, NOT TO BE SERVED... This is our King... Our Lord... SERVANT OF ALL...

After singing the Psalms of the Passover (Psalms 113-118) they went in haste to Gethsemane to pray...

In the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem, Jesus began to pray... "FATHER, IF IT IS YOUR WILL, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME... YET NOT MY WILL BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE!" ...

Seeing His Disciples, His Friends asleep, He said: "Can you not spend just one hour with me?... Pray that You will not Enter into Temptation!"...

We are guilty of this... We are not willing just to spend an Hour with God... Yet God still wants to speak to us... And He is there inviting us... In silence...

Then, the temple-guards, accompanied by Judas Iscariot went in haste to capture Jesus... Judas betrayed Him with a kiss...

Simon Peter's sword cut-off the ear of one of those guards... Jesus admonishes Peter: "Those who live by the sword will also die by the sword!" ... Jesus picked up the ear of that guard injured by Peter and He miraculously restored and healed it...

such is Jesus' awesome love for both His friends, and His enemies...

And the disciples, in utter cowardliness, just run off, leaving Jesus to be taken to the Temple to be tried by the Council of Jewish Priests, called the Sanhedrin (According to Bible scholars, this trial was null and void because a criminal, according to Jewish law should be tried by the elders of Israel in the Morning, in the presence of the citizens of the city)...

Jesus has no one to stand by His side to defend Him... He was mocked, accused falsely, spit upon, his face was slapped... HE WAS LABELED AS A BLASPHEMER...