CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER – Thursday of Holy Week is filled with varied experiences.  As we noted in the beginning of these reflections, the Chrism Mass opens the day.  The day ends with the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  Here, we are offered two graces – service and Sacrament (Eucharist and Priesthood).  Part of the celebration includes the “washing of the feet”.  It is here that Jesus calls us to service in His Church.  Before I came to Mother of DivineProvidence Parish, my ministry was at St. Charles Seminary in the Permanent Diaconte Formation Program.  The charism of the deacon is service and we used the washing of the feet to symbolize this.  We are all called to service — to wash each other’s feet – we do this in so many different ways.  We visit the sick, feed the hungry, comfort those who are grieving – any service, any kindess we offer to someone is how we “wash feet”.  The gift of the Eucharist remembered this night is perhaps the greatest gift.  Imagine, Jesus loves us so much that he found a way to be present to us in our Churches — present in the Blessed Sacrament.  Do we realize the gift that we have in this Sacrament?  Or do we take it for granted?  We  (the Sisters of Mercy) are blessed to have the Eucharist in our convent chapel.  But, on Holy Thursday evening the tabernacle is emptied and remains so until after the Ester Vigil.  The loss of the Eucharistic presence just for those 2 days left an empty space in our home for me.  May the celebration of the Lord’s Supper deepen our appreciation of the power of the Eucharistic in our lives and allow It to strengthen us in our ministry of “foot washing”.