On the Lord’s Supper. Of the Table and the Way of sitting at Meat. The Example of Five Virtues of Christ in the Supper. Also Five Points of our Lord’s Discourse
The time being close at hand, of the infinite mercies of our Lord Jesus, in which He had disposed to save His people, and to redeem them, not with corruptible things as silver and gold, but with His own most precious blood ; He wills to celebrate a wonderful Supper with His disciples, before He by death should leave them, for a memorial in token of remembrance, and also that He might fulfil the mysteries which remained to be accomplished. This was a very magnificent Supper, and the things which our Lord Jesus did at it, were ilhistrious also. To meditate aright on these, strive with all your powers to be in spirit present at the scene : for if you make this meditation worthily and with care, the gracious Lord will not suffer you to go empty away. There are four principal points for meditation, taking the events in order. First, the actual repast; secondly, the washing of the disciples’ feet; thirdly, the institution of the most holy Sacrament; and fourthly, the substance of our Lord’s most beautiful discourse.
And first of the Supper itself, as a bodily repast Consider how Peter and John were sent by the order of the Lord Jesus to a certain friend in Mount Zion, where there was a large upper room furnished and made ready for the Passover. And our Lord with His disciples on Thursday, at noontide, entered the city, and went to this place. Picture Him standing in some part of the house, and edifying His disciples by His words ; and in the meanwhile, some of the seventy prepared the Passover in the upper room. In the legend of S. Martial, some of the seventy, it is said, were present, late in the evening, ministering to the Lord Jesus. But when all were now ready in the room, the most beloved John, who was busily going in and out, making preparations and lending his help, came to the Lord Jesus : “Lord, when Thou pleasest, Thou mayest sup, for all things are ready.” Look now attentively at, and linger upon all the things which are said and done ; for they are most affecting, and are not to be curiously passed over, but, like the other actions of our Lord’s Life, to be well pondered. For in this lies the great force of meditation, especially when the infinite love of Christ is the theme, as in the surpassing wonders which took place at this Supper.
Then the Lord Jesus arose, and His disciples with Him. And John, taking up his position at His side, could by no means henceforth be separated from Him, for no one clung to our Lord so faithfully and familiarly as John. He it was, who, when our Lord was taken, entered with Him into the hall of the high priest ; nor in His Crucifixion, nor at His Death, nor after His Death, did he leave Him, until He was laid in the tomb. And in this Supper John was next to Jesus, though younger than the rest. All, then, enter the supper-room, and having washed their hands, and standing round the table, most devoutly give thanks. Look minutely at them. You must know that the table was close to the ground, and they sat on the ground, according to the ancient custom. There are traditions about this table which we need not here reproduce. All eat from one dish, as we learn from those words, “He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray me.” 1 A blessing being given by the Right Hand of our Lord, they sit or recline round the table, John sitting next the Lord Jesus Christ, and now the Paschal lamb is brought in.
But observe that you may depict this scene in two ways. In one way you may represent the disciples as sitting, as I have already said ; in another, as standing with staves in their hands, eating the lamb with bitter herbs, and thus obeying the letter of the old law. Yet you must imagine them, at any rate, as sitting afterwards to eat, as may be inferred from many places in Scripture ; for how else could John have leaned on the Lord’s breast, unless they were sitting ? The Paschal lamb was brought in roasted, and the true and spotless Lamb took it, the Lord Jesus, who was among them as one that serveth, and who cut it into portions, and gave it joyfully to His disciples, exhorting them to eat. And they eat, but not with cheerfulness, for they knew not what new thing might happen to their Master. And whilst they were at supper, He revealed more clearly what was to follow, and said, amongst other things, “With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer,1 but one of you shall betray Me.” His saying pierced them to the very heart, like a sharp sword, and made them cease eating ; and, looking at each other, they exclaimed, “Lord, is it I ?” Regard them attentively, and compassionate both our Lord and them, for they are in a most sorrowful position. But the traitor, lest these words should seem to apply to him, perhaps, does not cease eating. John then, at the entreaty of S. Peter, asked and said, “Lord, who is it that shall betray Thee ?”2 And the Lord Jesus, with singular love, opened to him the secret, but John was struck dumb and wounded to the very heart, and turned himself towards our Lord, and leaned on His breast But our Lord did not tell S. Peter, for S. Augustine says he would, had he known it, have torn the traitor to pieces. But Peter represents the Active Life, John the Contemplative, as S. Augustine says in the same Homily on the Gospel, which was read on the Festival of S. John. You may infer from this that the contemplative man does not interrupt the actions of the inner life, and even concerning offences, does not call down Divine vengeance, but groans inwardly, and turns himself in prayer to God, and draws more closely to Him in contemplation, committing everything to His disposal. Thus, if S. John did not tell S. Peter, though it was at the instance of the latter the question was asked, you may gather that the contemplative man should not always make known the secrets of the Lord, though the contemplative may go forth, from zeal for souls and for God, into the ministries of the Active Life. Thus it is reported of S. Francis, that he did not reveal to others his secret revelations, unless zeal for his brother’s salvation urged it, or a spiritual instinct given with the revelation itself dictated it.
Now, then, behold the lovingkindness of the Lord, how graciously He allows the beloved disciple to lean on His breast. O how tenderly do they love each other ! Observe also the other disciples, much distressed at this saying of our Lord ; not eating, but gazing at each other, not knowing what course to take. This suffices for the first point.
To the second, give diligent attention. For whilst they were in this state, the Lord Jesus rises from supper, and immediately the disciples also rise, not knowing what he was going to do. Then we may depict Him going down into a lower room in the same house, as tradition relates ;. and He made them all sit down, and ordered water to be brought to Him. Then He lays aside His garments, girds Himself with a towel,3 and pours water into a stone basin, that He might wash their feet Peter refuses, and, full of amazement, declines an action in his judgment so unfitting. But upon hearing the warning of Christ, he wisely changed his opinion for the better. Consider, then, well each action, and contemplate all with wonder. Highest Majesty bows Himself down, and the Master of humility stands bending down to the feet of a fisherman, and with bent knees, while they were sitting, washes with His own hands their feet, dries, and, it may be, kisses them. But that which magnifies His humility above all the rest, is, that He performed the same service for the traitor himself. But O, wicked heart, and harder than all hardness ; if thou art not softened at the sight of such humility ; if thou dost not reverence the Lord of Majesty ; if even still thou thirstest for the death of One Who has ever shown thee kindness, ever been free from doing any harm ! Woe to thee, wretched man ! What thy hardened heart hath conceived, thou shalt bring forth ; not, however, He, but thou shalt really perish.
Here, then, we should marvel at so great a depth of humility and kindness, etc.
Having, then, completed this service, He returned to the upper room, and reclining again, He exhorted His disciples to imitate His example. You can then, in this place, meditate how the Lord Jesus, on that evening, gave us an example of five great virtues ; namely, of humility, in washing their feet ; of charity, in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, and in His discourse, which is full of precepts of love ; of patience, in bearing with the traitor, and the many insults He endured when captured and led away as a robber; of obedience, in undergoing His Passion arid Death in submission to His Father ; of prayer, by praying thrice in the Garden. Let us, then, endeavour to imitate these virtues of our Blessed Lord. We add no more on this.
But in meditating on the third point, wonder at Christ’s amazing and loving condescension, and unspeakable charity, whereby He gave Himself for us, and left Himself for our spiritual nourishment. When He had washed the disciples’ feet, He sat down again, willing to put an end to the institutions and sacrifices of the old law ; and to ordain a New Covenant, making Himself the New Sacrifice, He took bread, and raised His eyes to His Father, and consecrating the most Holy Sacrament of His Body and Blood, gave it to His disciples, saying, This is My Body, which is given for you. And likewise, taking the cup, He said, This is My Blood, which is shed for you.
Behold this mystery, then, thoughtfully before God, and see how carefully, faithfully, and devoutly our Lord does every action, and how, with His own Hands, He communicated that His beloved and blessed family. And then, as a memorial of His love, He adds, “Do this in remembrance of Me.* This is that Memorial which, when the grateful soul receives, whether by eating or by spiritual meditation, it ought to be inflamed and inebriated with love, and through the intensity of devotion and affection transformed into the Lord Himself. For nothing could He leave for us dearer, sweeter, and more profitable than Himself. For He Who comes to us in the Sacrament, is the same Who was wonderfully conceived and born of the Virgin, Who endured death for you, and Who rose again, and ascended gloriously, and sits at the Right Hand of the Father. He it is Who created heaven, and earth, and all things, and Who rules and guides them. He it is on whom your salvation depends, in whose power and will, it is to give, or not to give, the glory of Paradise. He it is Who is offered for you and is given to you. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. This on our third point
But concerning the fourth head, which is something supperadded to the rest, attend to the other marks of Christ’s love. For He makes a most beautiful discourse, full of sweetness, and glowing with the fire of love. Having communicated His disciples, and that most vile Judas (according to S. Augustine, though others think he did not communicate), the Lord Jesus says to Judas, “That thou doest, do quickly.”4 But he, wretched man, went out, and went to the chief priests, to whom on the Wednesday before he had sold Him, for thirty pieces of silver, and sought from them a band of soldiers to take Him. But in the interim the Lord Jesus delivered to His disciples this discourse, from which, in its whole extent, admirable, useful, and venerable, I take five principal points for meditation. First, how, foretelling His departure, our Lord comforted them. For He said, “Yet a little while I am with you,” but “I will not leave you comfortless ; I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice.” These things, and the like, which L briefly run through, He said to them, which went through and pierced them to their very hearts. For they were not able to bear the thought of His departure. Secondly, meditate about this discourse, how cordially and earnestly He instructs them upon charity, saying in many places, “These things I command you, that ye love one another ; by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” and similar teaching which you can find in abundance in the sacred text Thirdly, meditate in this discourse upon the way in which our Lord carefully exhorted them to the observance of His commandments, saying, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,”5 and, “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love,”6 and similar things. Fourthly, take for your meditation the way He encourages His disciples against tribulation, which He foretold would come upon them, in this manner : ” In the world ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”7 And again, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.”8 “The world shall rejoice,” but “ye shall be sorrowful ; but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”9 Fifthly, contemplate the Lord Jesus lifting up His eyes unto Heaven, turning to His Father and saying, “Father, keep those whom Thou hast given Me ; while I was with them in the world, I kept them, but now I come unto Thee ; Holy Father, I pray for them ; I pray not for the world ; neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory ;”10 and other similar utterances, which were truly heart-rending. It is wonderful, indeed, how the disciples, who so intensely loved their Lord, could bear these words. If, then, you meditate with attention on the sayings which are to be found in this discourse, and lay them to heart, you will rest in a sense of their sweetness, and you will burn within at so great condescension, kindness, consideration, indulgence, and love, as well as at the other actions of our Lord which were done that evening.
Behold Him, then, as He speaks, how efficaciously, how earnestly, how sweetly, He addresses them, impressing on the minds of His disciples what he says, and regaling them with the tenderness of His looks and words. Behold, too, the disciples, how mournfully they droop their heads, and weep and draw long sighs, filled to the full with sadness, as the Truth itself bears witness : “Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart .”11 But, amongst the rest, observe John, in close communion with Jesus; with what attention and eagerness He regards His Beloved, and with tender anxiety gathers up His every word. For S. John alone has handed down to us a record of these things. Amongst other things, the Lord Jesus said to them, “Arise, let us go hence.” O, what fear took possession of them, not knowing whither they went, or how they were to go, and fearing above all else that they would be separated from Him; nevertheless, He did not at that moment conclude, but continued His discourse, and then went on with it along the way. See, then, the disciples going after Him and with Him, each one drawing as close to Him as he could, gathering together like a flock, even as chickens round the hen ; first one, and then the other pressing forward with the desire of touching Him and hearing His words, while He willingly suffered this from them.
At last, all these mysteries having been finished, He went into the Garden, across the brook Cedron, and there He awaited the arrival of the traitor, and his armed band.
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