The Last Supper

Jesus had spent three years among the people, walking from town to town, healing and teaching. And now another Feast of the Passover was about to commence and the whole country was excited over a miracle Jesus had just performed. A short distance from Jerusalem, in the little town of Bethany, lived three of Jesus’ dear friends—Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus. But Lazarus had died and in great sorrow his sisters buried him. In their grief Jesus came, asked them to show Him the grave and, surrounded by a crowd of Jews, called to the dead Lazarus to come forth. And Lazarus came, alive and well.

The people were wild with excitement, wonder and joy. They gathered close about the man they had buried four days before. They feasted their eyes upon him, spoke to him, touched him. Then they went home, spreading the news over all the land.

Many came to Jerusalem for the Feast in the hopes of seeing Christ when they heard how He had raised Lazarus to life. As the crowds gathered in the porches of the temple, the name of Jesus was in every mouth. Not seeing Him, they asked on all sides: “Where is He?” “Think you He will come for the Feast?” But He was spending these days far from the crowds, in prayer.

The Jewish priests knit their brows and bit their lips to find the people thus inquiring for Christ. They hated Him because they were jealous of Him, and they would gladly have killed Him if they could have done so unnoticed.

At last on Sunday, Jesus left the desert and took the road to Jerusalem, there to die. He knew He was going to His death and that in a few days He would be killed. St. Peter begged Him to stay away from Jerusalem, but He went there on purpose to give up His life for you and me.

As He neared the city with His Apostles and Lazarus at His side, an immense crowd gathered about Him. He rode on an ass and the men threw their coats on the animal for Him to sit upon and strewed green branches from the trees upon the road before Him. And they waved palm branches in the air and sang “Hosanna to the Son of David,” for they were carried away at sight of Lazarus. And word reached Jerusalem that Christ was coming to celebrate the Feast and that Lazarus was with Him. At once the crowds rushed out and when they had met Him and had seen Lazarus with their own eyes, they turned and led the way back to the city.

It was evening when the procession passed in triumph through the streets of Jerusalem. Then it broke up; and Jesus, knowing that the Jewish priests would gladly seize Him in the night and do away with Him, went out to the lonely hillsides and slept on the bare ground.

Monday and Tuesday He returned to the temple, where He cured all the sick and taught the listening crowds. Wednesday He kept away from the city, and Thursday morning, the Apostles, knowing how full of danger Jerusalem was for Him, asked where He would eat the lamb of the Passover. But Jesus told Peter and John to go into the city and there in a certain house to get all things ready, for that evening He would join them for the supper.

Peter and John found the owner of the house, who showed them a large room that they might use. They then went to the temple and picked out a lamb which they carried to the priest. And he killed the lamb and let its blood flow over the altar. Then they brought it home and had it roasted with two pomegranate branches holding the body in the shape of a cross. They also bought wild lettuce and parsley and unleavened bread, which is a thin dry paste of flour and water.

Judas, one of the twelve Apostles, had carefully listened that morning to all Jesus said. He made sure of His plans, where He would eat the lamb of the Passover and where He would later go to pray. Then he watched his chance, slipped away from the others, and hurried to find the Jewish priests. When these had come together, Judas excitedly told them that if they wanted to seize Jesus and put Him to death, he would show them where they could find Him that night whilst the city slept. At first the priests thought that Judas was laying a trap for them. They knew how the Apostles loved their Master, and they could not believe that one of them would turn traitor and lead Him to death. But as Judas went on rapidly talking and said how he was tired of following Jesus, of tramping up and down the country, of often going hungry, of hearing Christ talk of the greatness of being poor and of suffering, they began to believe he was in earnest. And when Judas asked how much they would pay him, and when they saw the gleam in his eye and the eagerness with which he snatched up the thirty pieces of silver they tossed to him, they knew he would keep his bargain.

Judas told them that he would wait for them at midnight at the gate of the Garden of Olives.

There was a murmur of voices as the traitor left the room. The Jewish priests exclaimed: “Poor fool! Had he been sharper, he could have gotten twice the money. But how easily it was done! No trouble to ourselves! We never dreamed that all the silver in the land could buy over one of the Twelve! This time tomorrow, ’twill all be over, the people will stop their craze, and we can rest in peace.” And they chuckled to themselves.

As evening drew on Judas, clutching his bag of silver, caught up with the Apostles as they followed Jesus into the supper-room. They all seemed so quiet and so sad. “Yet surely,” he thought, “they can not know what I have done! Oh, no! They would have fallen upon me and killed me, had they known.” Nevertheless, he kept as far away from Jesus as he could. He was afraid to have His eye rest upon him, for he felt that He could read his heart. As he looked at Christ’s gentle figure, the thought rushed into his mind to fall at His feet and tell Him what he had done and warn Him not to go near the garden that night. Then the devil whispered to him: “Even if Christ would forgive you, what would the eleven think? They would always shrink from you. And you could not stand the hatred of the priests. They might even kill you. No, it is too late!”

As they were eating the supper, the Apostles looked at Jesus and were astonished to see the change that had come into His sacred face. He looked so pale, so tired, so sorrowful! Ah! the fear of death was upon Him! He knew what Judas had done, He knew that this was the last time He would eat with His Apostles before His death, He knew all that He would suffer.

At last Jesus said: “One of you is about to betray Me.” (Matt. 26:21.) Like a knife the words cut into the heart of Judas. He saw that Jesus knew what he had done. The others had no suspicions, and each one cried out in terror: “Is it I, Lord?” (Verse 22.) Like an echo, Judas repeated: “Is it I, Lord?” (Verse 25.) Jesus said to him: “Thou hast said it.” (Verse 25.) But the others did not catch the words, and Peter whispered to John, who was next to Christ: “Who is it of whom He speaketh?” (John 13:24.) John, “leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to Him: ‘Lord, who is it?’” (Verse 25.) “Jesus answered: ‘He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped.’” (Verse 26.) Then Jesus, taking a piece of bread, dipped it in the platter and handed it to Judas. Even then Peter and John did not understand, but Judas saw that it would not be safe for him to stay. Again he thought: “Shall I tell all and save Jesus’ life? There is still time. What if they do throw me out or even kill me?” Again the devil whispered: “Too late. Your sin is too great.”

Then Jesus said to him: “That which thou dost, do quickly.” (Verse 27.) At once Judas got up and fled into the night.

Supper was now over and there was left on the table some unleavened bread and a cup of wine. No one spoke, but all watched Jesus to see what He would do or say.

Then Jesus, taking the unleavened bread in His hands and looking up to Heaven, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His Apostles, saying: “Take ye and eat. This is My Body.” (Matt. 26:26.) At that instant the bread was changed into Christ’s Body and the Apostles ate not bread but the Sacred Flesh of Christ.

Then taking the cup of wine, Jesus blessed it and gave it to them, saying: “Drink ye all of This, for This is My Blood.” (Verses 27, 28.) At that instant, the wine in the cup was changed into the Blood of Christ and the Apostles drank not wine but the precious Blood of Christ.

This was the way Jesus had chosen of getting into their hearts. The night before He died, He wanted to be closer to them than He had ever been before. He was going to leave them and He knew they would be lonely, so He told them that although He was going to Heaven, He would come to them and that as He had changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood, so He now gave them the power to do the same, and thus they could receive Him into their hearts every day.

But many others would want to have Jesus with them, too, and so Christ told them that every man that was made a priest in His Church would have the power to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood. And thus under the form of bread, Jesus would live on the altar with His people until the end of the world.

When the Apostles received the Body and Blood of Jesus that Thursday night at the Last Supper, they made their First Communion. And when you make your First Communion you will receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, too.

Oh, try to learn how to make your First Communion as soon as you can. Beg our Lord to come to you quickly and often say this little prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus, delay no longer.”