CHRIST, OUR NEW PASSOVER LAMB

Homily for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Year C

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Bible Texts: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15

Tonight, we enter into the Sacred Triduum - the most holy days in the Church’s liturgical year - beginning with the commemoration of the Last Supper. Tonight, we remember the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood, and we witness Jesus’ dramatic gesture of washing his disciples’ feet. The readings for today invite us to reflect on these three points: the Eucharist as a memorial of Christ’s love, the priesthood as service, and love expressed in humble action.

Our first reading from the book of Exodus takes us to that sacred night in Egypt - the night of the first Passover (Exod. 12). The Israelites, enslaved in Egypt, were instructed by God through Moses to take a male lamb without blemish, slaughter it at twilight, mark their doorposts and lintels with its blood, and roast and eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, in haste, dressed and ready to leave. Why? Because deliverance was at hand.

The Lord commanded each household of Israel “The blood shall be a sign for you… when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13). This was not just a meal- it was a sacrificial covenant, a mark of salvation, and the beginning of a journey from slavery to freedom. But God had something greater in mind than merely rescuing Israel from Pharaoh. This event foreshadowed a far deeper liberation - from sin and death itself. The Eucharist is the new and eternal covenant meal, fulfilling what the Passover prefigured.

In the second reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), St. Paul gives us the earliest account of the institution of the Eucharist, handed on as tradition: “This is my Body… this cup is the new covenant in my Blood… do this in memory of me.” These are no ordinary words. With them, Jesus transforms the Passover meal. No longer is it a lamb in Egypt. He Himself becomes the Lamb. The meal becomes a memorial of his death, and the new covenant is sealed not with animal blood, but with his own Blood. St. Paul explicitly affirms this in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.”

The Gospel reading from the gospel according to John shows us that the Eucharist is more than a sacred meal - it is a participation in the sacrifice of the Lamb. Every time we gather at the altar, we are standing at the foot of the Cross and the threshold of deliverance. “When you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Cor 11:26). Just as the Israelites had to eat the lamb for their protection, we too must partake of the Eucharist to share in Christ’s saving grace.

But what does it mean to be saved by the Lamb? Jesus shows us in the most radical way - by kneeling before his disciples and washing their feet. “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14). The Lamb who saves us is also the Servant who loves us, and calls us to imitate his love. True participation in the New Passover means not only receiving the Body of Christ but becoming the Body of Christ for others - in service, humility, and sacrifice.

Tonight also celebrates the institution of the ministerial priesthood. Jesus commands, “Do this in memory of me.” Every priest, by virtue of ordination, is configured to Christ the Head and Shepherd of the Church. But tonight’s Gospel reminds us that this priesthood is not about privilege or power but about service. Like Christ, the new Passover Lamb, every priest is called to wash feet - to serve, to suffer with his people, to give his life.

Dear friends, tonight we remember not just a historical event, but a living mystery. Jesus, the Lamb of God, has gone before us into the new Exodus. He delivers us not from Pharaoh, but from sin. He leads us not just to the Promised Land, but to eternal life. He offers Himself - body broken, blood poured -for our salvation. Let us respond with love. Let us eat this sacred meal with faith. Let us follow the Lamb wherever He goes (cf. Revelation 14:4) because “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” Amen.