Scripture
Exodus 12:1–8, 11–14;
Psalm 116:12–13, 15–16, 17–18;
1.Corinthians 11:23–26;
John 13:1–5
1 Corinthians 11:23–26
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. oremus Bible Browser : 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
St. Francis’s profound reverence for the Eucharist inspired his dedication to the upkeep of churches, ensuring they were fitting abodes for the holy sacrament. His esteem for the clergy remained steadfast despite the Church’s controversies, focusing on the sacred nature of the Church’s role in the Eucharist rather than its human shortcomings. The narrative of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples serves as a poignant reminder of our duty to serve others with modesty. Furthermore, St. Francis’s teachings implore leaders to embody servitude and humility, likening their duties to those of a servant tending to the feet of others. This contemplation bridges the Eucharist’s importance, the veneration of the clergy, and the pivotal role of service and humility within leadership. (Page SummaryLent with St. Francis: Eucharist | Franciscan Media )
Today’s Gospel account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet offers an antidote to the problems our human Church encounters. Francis takes this to heart in his Admonitions when he says:
I did not come to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28), our Lord tells us. Those who are put in charge of others should be no prouder of their office than if they had been appointed to wash the feet of their confreres. They should be no more upset at the loss of their authority than they would be if they were deprived of the task of washing feet. The more they are upset, the greater the risk they incur to their souls. ( Taken from the Meditation given for Holy Thursday)
Lent with St. Francis: Eucharist | Franciscan Media
St. Francis and the Eucharist from Primary Sources
St. Francis of Assisi, revered for his simplicity, loving kindness, and reverence for the natural world, held a deep veneration for the Eucharist.
Perceiving the Divine in the Eucharist:
St. Francis urged all to perceive the modest benevolence of the Divine within the Eucharist. He asserted that the sanctified bread and wine transcended symbolic significance, embodying the true essence of Jesus Christ.
Thomas of Celano, who penned the earliest biography of Francis, noted the saint’s words: “Should I encounter a heavenly saint and a humble priest simultaneously, I would first pay respect to the priest and hasten to revere his hands.”
Francis esteemed the priest’s hands, which administered the Eucharistic elements, as bearers of a celestial bond beyond mere humanity.
The Sacred Body and Blood:
Throughout his texts, St. Francis invariably spoke of the Eucharist as “our Lord Jesus Christ’s most sacred Body and Blood,” eschewing vague terminology in favor of tangible expressions.
To Francis, the Eucharist represented not an inanimate entity but a living presence—Christ himself. As Christ once accompanied his followers through Galilee, so too did he manifest on the altar at every Mass.
In his final testament, Francis professed, “In the physical realm, I behold nothing of the most exalted Son of God but His most sacred Body and Blood.”
For Francis, partaking in Communion was not a symbolic act; it was a personal encounter with Jesus. He held the conviction that Jesus “entrusts Himself into the hands of the priest, and we are graced to touch and ingest Him daily.”
The Eucharist’s True Presence and Intimacy:
Francis’s perception of the Eucharist was in harmony with the orthodox Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence, yet his experience of this presence was vivid, tangible, and deeply personal.
He stood in awe of God’s incredible humility, who, through the Eucharist, made a selfless offering of Himself to humankind. This act of divine self-giving left an indelible mark on Francis’s spirituality.
- 1. franciscanmedia.org
- 2 bing.com
- 3 friarmusings.com
- 4 ewtn.co.uk
- 5 yourbibleversedaily.com
- 6. Internet History Sourcebooks: Medieval Sourcebook (fordham.edu)
Francis himself wrote his First Admonition on the Body of Christ:
On the Body of the Lord, Admonition 1
The Lord Jesus says to His disciples: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well; in a litte while will know Him and see Him.”Phillip says to Him: “Lord, show us the Father, and that will suffice for us.” Jesus says to him: “For so long a time I am with you, and you do not know Me? Phillip, he who sees Me, sees even My Father” (John 14:6-9). The Father dwells in light inaccessible (cf. 1 Timothy 6:16), and God is spirit (John 4:24), and no one has ever seen God (John 1:18). Therefore He can be seen only in spirit, since it is the spirit which vivifies, the flesh brings forth nothing (John 6:64). But neither is the Son, because He is equal to the Father, seen in Him otherwise than the Father, otherwise than the Holy Spirit. Whence all who saw the Lord Jesus acccording to the Humanity and both did not see and believe according to the spirit the Divinity also, that He Himself is the true Son of God, have been damned; so even now all who see the Sacrament, which is sanctified by the words of the Lord upon the Altar by the hand of the Priest in the form of bread and wine, and does not see and believe according to the spirit the Divinity also, that this is truly the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, have been damned, since the Most High Himself testifies, who said: “This is My Body and My Blood of the new testament (which is poured forth for the many” (Mt. 14:22,24); and “He who eats My Flesh and drinks the Blood of the Lord.” All Others, who do not have according to this same spirit and presume to receive Him, eat and drink judgement upon themselves (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29). Whence: “Sons of men, how long with a heavy heart?” (Ps 4:3) So that you may know the truth and believe in the Son of God (cf. John 9:35)) Behold, every day He humbles Himself (cf. Phil 2:8), just as when from royal thrones (Wis. 18:15) He entered into the womb of the Virgin; every day He comes to us presenting Himself humbly; everyday He descends from the bosom of His Father to the Altar into the hands of the Priest. And just as to the holy Apostles in true flesh, so even now He shows Himself to us in the Sacred Bread. And just as when they gazed at his very own fleah they saw only His flesh, but contemplating with their spiritual eyes believed Him to be God, so even we seeing bread and wine with our bodily eyes, may see and firmly believe them even to be His Most Holy Body and Blood, living and true. And in such a manner the Lord is always His faithful ones, just as He says: “Behold I am with you even to the comsumation of the age” (cf. Mt. 28:20)
The Writings of St. Francis (liturgies.net)
The act of Communion is a personal encounter with the divine, lifting the veil between the earthly and the heavenly. Orthodox Christians approach this experience with a sense of awe and reverence, fully expecting to meet the living Christ who walked among us, healed the sick, and offered forgiveness. It is an engagement of the entire being—body, soul, and spirit—in a moment that transcends intellectual understanding.