When we love someone, we want to spend time with him or her, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to be far away from that person \u2013 and when we are far away, we can\u2019t wait until we see him or her again.<\/p>\n
Tonight, we gather as a community to recognize that Jesus loved his disciples so much that he did not want to leave them like sheep without a shepherd.\u00a0 It was a struggle in his heart: yet Jesus knew his time had come.\u00a0 During the last celebration of the Passover with his friends at the Last Supper, Jesus gave them a gift that allowed them to remain in communion with each other.<\/p>\n
Not only did Jesus wash the feet of his disciples, giving them an example of humble service to follow, at the Last Supper Jesus offered his body and blood so he would close to his friends \u2013 and all those who would come afterwards.<\/p>\n
Not long after the resurrection, Saint Luke describes that Jesus was walking along the road to the town of Emmaus with two disciples.\u00a0 As they reached their destination and evening drew near, the disciples said to Jesus without realizing who he was, \u201cremain with us Lord, for it is almost evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
These are words of affection: \u201cRemain with us.\u201d\u00a0 Stay with us because we enjoy your company, we want to spend more time with you, and we don\u2019t want you to get hurt if you keep walking in the night.<\/p>\n
When the disciples asked Jesus to remain with them, they really did not realize what they were asking.\u00a0 Jesus not only remained with them for dinner, but at dinner, Jesus blessed the bread, and in the breaking of bread the disciples recognized him.\u00a0 They asked Jesus to remain with them, and he did, but not just for the evening; he remained with them, present in the Eucharist, for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemain with us Lord\u201d<\/p>\n
Saint Paul in the second reading describes what he received and encourages the early Christians to do the same, \u201cI received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, \u201cThis is my body that is for you.\u00a0 Do this in remembrance of me.\u00a0 In the same way also the cup, after supper.\u201d\u00a0 This sounds familiar to us as Catholics, because for 2000 years we have done the same thing, faithful to Jesus\u2019 instructions.<\/p>\n
Every time that a Mass is celebrated, we are asking Jesus to remain with us, and he gladly obliges.\u00a0 Jesus remains with us not only because we love him and we want him near, but because he loves us and he wants to remain with us.<\/p>\n
The power of what we celebrate tonight \u2013 the institution by Jesus of this wonderful Sacrament of the Eucharist \u2013 is that our God is not distant or indifferent \u2013 he chooses to be among us \u2013to remain with us because he enjoys our company.<\/p>\n
Tonight, at the conclusion of Mass, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose outside the church.\u00a0 The tabernacle will be empty, and Jesus invites us to stay with him for a while in prayer.\u00a0 \u201cRemain with me,\u201d he says to us, \u201cremain with me in my hour of pain and sorrow, in the hour of betrayal and imprisonment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The empty tabernacle prepares us for tomorrow\u2019s events \u2013 the Lord has been taken from us, and placed in the tomb.<\/p>\n
The Lord chooses to remain with us \u2013 do we choose to remain with him?\u00a0 Tonight, we have the opportunity to remain with him, even if for a few minutes.<\/p>\n
We remain close to him during these next few days when we remember his passion, death and eventual resurrection.<\/p>\n
Open our hearts Lord, so that we may receive the graces you have in store for us in these holiest of days.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When we love someone, we want to spend time with him or her, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to be far away from that person \u2013 and when we are far away, we can\u2019t wait until we see him or her again. Tonight, we gather as a community to recognize that Jesus loved his disciples […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":7008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[30,57,334,331,320],"class_list":["post-7005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-homily","tag-catholic","tag-eucharist","tag-holy-thursday","tag-holy-week","tag-homily"],"yoast_head":"\n