Homily for Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper

He Gives Himself Away!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper 

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Thursday, April 1, 2021

The 19th-century German philosopher Georg Friedrich Hegel argued that all human society is characterized by a master-slave dynamic. He meant that each society tends to involve some individuals aggressively seizing power and influence while keeping others at bay. Within every human organization, there are insiders and outsiders, privileged and marginalized, those who are up and those who are down. The privileged ones, in particular, usually want to maintain the status quo. It would be a mistake to interpret this solely from a geopolitical perspective because, during our school days, many of us saw this master-slave dynamic front and center. The cool kids and privileged groups, those who were up, often wanted things to stay just the way they were, even if it meant keeping others down. But long before Hegel, the great St. Augustine, while criticizing Roman society of his time, identified what he called in Latin libido dominandi (i.e., the lust to dominate). For St. Augustine, libido dominandi—the desire to dominate others—is a sign of a dysfunctional society, representing a kind of master-slave dynamic. Long before Hegel and St. Augustine, the authors of the Old Testament were also deeply concerned with this issue, as the central story of the Old Testament recounts slavery and liberation. The first reading from the Book of Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 describes the Passover meal, symbolizing liberation from slavery. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred years, enduring oppression. Then, in a moment of divine action, God freed them from Egypt, breaking their chains and demonstrating what He stands for—overcoming the master-slave dynamic. Interestingly, after Israel became a great nation, its prophets warned them to treat foreigners living among them as beloved locals, to love them as they love themselves, because they themselves had been foreigners in Egypt (Lev. 19:34).

In 30 AD, Jesus of Nazareth appears in the hills of Galilee with the message of the Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is at hand. What will the members of this Kingdom be like? Jesus says they should not hunger for domination, but rather for righteousness and meekness. They should not be caught up in the principle of “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” but instead embrace mercy and radical compassion. Jesus says that if someone asks for a quarter and you have a dollar to spare, give it to them. If someone asks you for a service and you can do it, go ahead and do it. And love—not just your relatives, neighbors, and friends, but also your enemies. Jesus says that when you attend a party, don’t sit with the elites, don’t take the highest place, but sit at the lowest place—sit with the least on purpose. When you give a party, don’t invite only the powerful who can repay you, but invite the poor, those on the margins of society who cannot reciprocate. As we all know, Jesus, in his own life and ministry, practiced what he preached. He practiced open table fellowship. Yes, he sat with the leaders, scholars, Pharisees, etc., but he also invited sinners, tax collectors, the sick, and the poor. At the core of this, sisters and brothers, Jesus is overturning all forms of master-slave dynamics and all forms of libido dominandi. 

With this in mind, what does today’s Gospel say? At the climax of his life, Jesus gathers with his Twelve Apostles. Reclining at the table, Jesus rises and does something so unexpected. He takes off his outer garment, wraps a towel around himself, and begins a task reserved only for the lowest of slaves. He starts to wash their feet. We’ve become accustomed to this liturgical practice of washing feet on Holy Thursday, so we forget how startling this act was. It was a step too far for Peter, which is why he protests and says, “Lord, you will never wash my feet.” The closest analogy might be: imagine you’re invited to a formal dinner hosted by a very distinguished person. You take your seat just like the host and the other guests. Suddenly, the host takes off his tuxedo jacket, bends down, and begins shining the guests’ shoes. You would probably be shocked and somewhat embarrassed. That is how the disciples felt when Jesus started to wash their feet. But what is Jesus doing? He is overturning the master-slave dynamic and setting the distinctive mark of his Kingdom. 

In the second reading from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, we see the most profound overturning of the master-slave relationship. St. Paul’s account of the Last Supper is the earliest mention of the Eucharist in the Bible. He wrote about this a decade or so before the first Gospel was written. He recalls what Jesus did: He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Similarly, after supper, He took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Check this out! At the peak of His life and ministry, Jesus reveals the fullness of the Kingdom of God and sums up what He is about. If you’re stuck in the master-slave mindset, you're focused on reaching the top and staying there at the expense of others; you’re concerned with keeping people at a distance; you're intent on grabbing and holding onto your position. What did Jesus do to capture the essence of His life and ministry? He gives Himself away! He says, “This is my Body,” and “This is my Blood.” Jesus does not seek to grasp authority, position, or power—instead, He lets them go. In the washing of the feet, He becomes the servant. In giving His Body and Blood, He offers His entire self. Through these acts, Jesus shows us how to enter into the dynamics of God’s Kingdom. St. Pope John Paul II talked about the law of the gift, which states that “Your being increases in the measure you give it away.” That is the law of the Kingdom of God—it’s the opposite of the master-slave dynamic, which says your life grows the more you grasp and cling to it. The question this Holy Thursday raises is: How can we make our lives into a gift? How can we work to undermine the master-slave relationships and give ourselves away?