Holy Thursday
Jn 13,1-2. - Knowing his time had come . . . . Jesus loved them to the end.
In John’s Gospel there is no account of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
In the first half of this gospel the words ‘life’ and ‘live’ occur 50 times, but not once in Jesus' conversation at the Last Supper. Death is hovering near; there is a tremendously significant mention of darkness: “Judas left...and it was night” (13:30).
In the Last Supper discourse: “Jesus disregards himself and his suffering, and shows only love for his own and compassion for their future trials.
Saint Catherine of 
“He does not refuse to take up the burden of suffering laid on him by
his Father; to the contrary, he throws himself into it, spurred on by his
great desire. Isn’t this what he reveals during the Last Supper on Holy
Thursday, when he says: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer” (Lk 22,15)? By “eat this Passover” he means the
accomplishment of the Father’s will and his desire. Seeing that scarcely
any time lies before him (he was already looking ahead to the end when he
would sacrifice his body for our sake), he rejoices, he is glad and
joyfully says: “I have greatly desired”. Here is the Passover he is
speaking about: that which consists in giving his own self as food, in
laying down his own body in obedience to the Father.
“He does not refuse to take up the burden of suffering laid on him by
his Father; to the contrary, he throws himself into it, spurred on by his
great desire. Isn’t this what he reveals during the Last Supper on Holy
Thursday, when he says: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer” (Lk 22,15)? By “eat this Passover” he means the
accomplishment of the Father’s will and his desire. Seeing that scarcely
any time lies before him (he was already looking ahead to the end when he
would sacrifice his body for our sake), he rejoices, he is glad and
joyfully says: “I have greatly desired”. Here is the Passover he is
speaking about: that which consists in giving his own self as food, in
laying down his own body in obedience to the Father”.
“. . . you also ought to wash one another's feet”. Again Jesus is saying, “Do this in memory of me.” He is present. It is a “real presence” in even the humblest service. In this too; it is a kind of Eucharist when our least service is given to each other. Jesus' words are the all time model of humble service [washing their feet] and of prayer (ch. 17), - real presence of grace.
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