The Holy Thursday Gift (Ex 12:14) by Diane Overmann

17 Apr The Holy Thursday Gift (Ex 12:14) by Diane Overmann

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.” ~ Ex 12:14 (full readings)
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Diane’s Reflections:  Without the Passover meal of Holy Thursday, we might not see the tremendous love Jesus has for us.  The cross seen in the light of the Eucharist brings us into the depth of our own identity.  Every act of love proceeds from the Pascal mystery and brings the Kingdom more present in our world.  When I taught second grade, each Holy Week we would act out the story of the Last Supper.  The child in the Jesus role would remind us of the Passover and of the time when God freed His people from Egypt.  We seem so removed from this dramatic scene of freedom from slavery; however, we have our own modern slavery here in the land of the free and the home of the brave!  Think of what enslaves us.  How often we ignore the grip the media, consumerism, and the culture of death have on us.  When do I have time to quietly reflect on the Last Supper, the wonder of the Eucharist,  the slavery of a culture that does not respect the life of an unborn child, or the pain of a woman who lives with abortion?  How often do I say:  “I will pray for that,” or “I will pray for  you.”  Do I actually give pray and reflect?   In the garden, Jesus asked his friends to watch with him.  Do I even give an hour a week to spend time with the Savior, focusing on His love?  I consider myself a committed, engaged Catholic.  Yet, today I see how engaged I am with a culture of doing, of racing, of ignoring the crimes against Life itself.  I even wonder if I had been invited to the Last Supper, would I have come late and rushed out early?  Yet, Jesus stands there with only love in His eyes for me.  He looks at me and gives me His Body and Blood and promises to never leave me.  I attend Mass and experience only love, not judgment.  What does Jesus see as He stands outside an abortion clinic?  Does He only want to save the child and the mother?  
* Diane Overmann is the Faith Formation Director at St. Clare Catholic School in O’Fallon, IL.  she also presents catechist classes for the Diocese of Belleville, IL.
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Faith Challenge:  Each Friday we are asked to remember the death of the Lord.  Will I remember the gift of the Eucharist each Thursday?  Will I hunger with Jesus to feed both the child to be aborted and the mother who is a slave of her fears?
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Counter-Culture News:  LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers:  Pray LIFE Runners Creed to end abortion.  Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, unceasingly. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  Saint Benedict Joseph Labre.
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Faith Quote:  “Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’  He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’  He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.'” ~ John 21:15
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Diane
Jer 1:5