The Last Supper: A Call to Love and Servanthood

As someone drawn to the mystical and medieval, I've always been fascinated by how art and imagination can reveal the sacred in the ordinary.

Thinkers like Tolkien and artists like Enya have a way of lifting the veil, allowing us to glimpse the deeper reality that lies beneath the surface of everyday life.

For me, their work isn't just about escapism or adding a layer of fantasy to reality; it's about uncovering the inherent nobility and beauty that already exists, waiting to be perceived.

As we gather around the table tonight, participating in the Eucharist, I'm reminded of this perspective.

The ordinary elements of bread and wine become vessels for the divine, revealing the sacred in the most unexpected ways.

It's a powerful reminder that the sacred isn't something separate from the world, but rather a depth and dimension that underlies all of existence.

But as we reflect on the Last Supper, we're also reminded that not everyone was fully present in the same way.

Judas, one of Jesus' closest disciples, had his mind elsewhere.

He was consumed by worldly ambitions and desires, seeing Jesus as a means to an end rather than the end itself.

He failed to see the sacred reality that was right in front of him.

Through Judas' example, we're invited to reflect on our own priorities.

Do we see Jesus' presence in our lives, through the community of faith, baptism, Eucharist, and scripture, as the ultimate reality?

Or do we treat it as secondary to our own goals and ambitions?

Is Jesus the point, or just a means to an end?

As we participate in the Eucharist tonight, let's ask ourselves: What lies behind the veil of this seemingly ordinary meal?

What sacred reality is waiting to be uncovered as the Christ gives to us His Body and His blood?

How, as John 6 reminds us, does eating his flesh and drinking his blood give life?

May we approach this meal with a sense of reverence and awe, allowing the divine presence to break through our distractions and desires.

May we see Jesus as the point, and not just a means to an end.

As we gather around the table tonight, we're reminded that the journey does not end here.

Jesus’ journey leads him to a cross, where the ultimate expression of love and sacrifice will be revealed.

This love is a transcendent spiritual reality that often seems to evade us, but we can hear its whisper when brought forth in a hymn reminding us of Jesus’ sacrifice...in a book or movie where the protagonist dies for the good of others.

Everything in Jesus at this meal, and in his journey to the corss, remind us that the sacred walks among us, making the transcendent imminent.

His is a love poured out for us on the cross and in the cup we receive.

As we participate in this sacred meal, may we be drawn into the depths of God's love, and may our hearts be transformed by the power of this love.

May we be reminded that the sacred is not just something we encounter in this moment, but a reality that underlies all of existence.

And may we carry this sense of reverence and awe with us as we continue on this journey to the cross with Jesus.