Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday (for the Maundatum Novum, or the New Commandment in English), commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist. On this night, on the first night of passover, Jesus fulfills what he referred to throughout his lengthy discourse in John 6.
In John 6:66 many of His followers left Jesus because they could not accept His teaching that they should eat His flesh and drink his blood. Here at the Last Supper one more of Jesus followers falls away because of this teaching, Judas. Judas cannot accept the suffering, humble Messiah. He looses faith just like the ones at the end of John 6.
The parallels of Jesus giving us His body and blood to eat and drink with that of the Passover story, are rich and closely intertwined with the Institution of the mass. A close study of Jewish practices explains all the parts of the mass juxtaposed over the Last supper that Jesus spends with His disciples, carefully teaching them some of His final life essays in their class on Church building. The final essay being His death and Resurrection.
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