The Luminous Mysteries
Fifth Luminous Mystery
THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
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| The Last Supper |
"Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.'"
- Luke 22: 19-20
Reflection:
For the past four weeks, we have discussed humility with regards to The Baptism of the Lord; obedience concerning The Sign at the Wedding at Cana; acceptance in relation to The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God; and patience and perseverance about The Transfiguration of the Lord. This week let us talk about the three theological virtues of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE as we reflect on The Institution of the Holy Eucharist.
According to St Thomas Aquinas, FAITH is "the assent of the intellect to a truth beyond its comprehension". The intellect can only grasp information or knowledge. But when it is about the question of truths that lie beyond its capability to comprehend and fully understand, one needs faith. Faith keeps us steadfast amid trials and tribulations. Abraham is one of the best examples of a man who had great faith for in his old age he believed without doubt God's promise of a son. Then God asks him to offer this same son, Isaac, as a sacrifice and he obeyed God who stopped him through an angel just before he kills Isaac.
HOPE on the other hand means "the desire of something together with the expectation of obtaining it". Hope, for example, sustains us through sufferings because at the end we expect to achieve or acquire something that led us to undergo such sufferings. The Israelites in Egypt prayed to Yahweh God and hoped for their salvation from the Pharaoh. They did not try to overthrow the government in order to be saved; rather, they never gave up hope that God would send someone to free them from their bondage. And God called and sent Moses to them.
LOVE is something which God has infused in man so that we may cherish Him for His own sake above all things and man for the sake of God. It is also called CHARITY. According to St Paul, it is the greatest of the three. It is because faith would be unnecessary when we are already in the presence of God. Hope is also no longer needed because beyond God there is nothing to hope for anymore. But love is eternal. The presence of God will further amplify love and it will never die. The best example of love is the great sacrifice of the Lord who gave His life as a ransom for many. This love is the expression of God the Father's love for us who spared Isaac form being offered by Abraham and yet willingly gave His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake of our salvation.
This same sacrifice we commemorate each time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist. This great sacrament requires us to practice these three great virtues: faith, hope and love. Faith is required so that we may look beyond the appearances of bread and wine and see the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hope keeps us expectant of that great banquet in heaven in the presence of the Father. Love makes the celebration an opportunity to enjoy a more intimate union with the Lord and leads us to give up ourselves too for the sake of others. Without faith, the celebration would be an ordinary meal, rather, a mere snack that would not even satisfy our physical hunger. Without hope, it's merely a boring gathering which we would like to end so soon. Without love, it's a waste of time which we would rather spend some place else.
Faith, Hope and Love or Charity - the three virtues that will develop, strengthen and sustain our friendship with the Lord as the Holy Eucharist will sustain our journey as Christians.
<--- Fourth Luminous Mystery
Image from dominicancooperatorbrother.blogspot.com via google.com
Bible passage from New Jerusalem Bible at catholic.org
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