Those two words are: sacrifice and service.
We start out, with our first reading, in the land of Egypt. The people of Israel are living as slaves and Moses has gone to Pharoah over and over again to deliver the Lord's message: "Let my people go ..."
Now God will send his final warning - the death of all the firstborn of Egypt. But to his people, God gives a different commandment: to gather together in their homes and offer a sacrifice of a lamb. Before they eat the meal together, they are to spread some of the blood of the Lamb around the outside of their doors. That blood will mark them as God's people and when the Lord punishes Egypt, he will pass over them.
This is the beginning of the great feast of Passover. The Israelites are set free and begin their journey to the promised land. But this sacrificial meal is not a one time event - God commands his people to celebrate this feast forever and every time they celebrate the Passover, they will remember what God did for them.
Hundreds of years later, St. Paul is writing to the Corinthians, telling them of what was handed on to him: the story of the Last Supper. At his last Passover celebration with his disciples, Jesus took the bread and said, "This is my body ..." and then took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood ..." And then he told his disicples: "Do this ... in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes."
It's no coincidence that our Lord chose the night of the Passover to institute the sacrament of the Eucharist. Just as God gave the people of Israel the feast of the Passover so that they would forever call to mind their liberation in the Exodus, Jesus gave the Church the Eucharist so that throughout the rest of time, his sacrifice that frees us from sin and death would be present for his people.
That is what the Eucharist is: we don't just gather together to eat a meal; we gather together to receive Jesus. This celebration doesn't happen because we're all here; we are here because when we receive Jesus' body and blood, we are made one in him.
This great sacrament has been passed on in the Church since that sacred night, so that every time we gather for Mass, we are present to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
That is amazing in itself; but what may be even more amazing is that our Lord chose to give this great gift to the Church through the imperfect men who were gathered in that room and all their imperfect successors.
The story of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles is a powerful one. That act of humble service showed them and us what a follower of Christ should look like; but this wasn't something new for Jesus.
Jesus' whole life was one of self-emptying, self-sacrificing love. In coming to live as a man, he emptied himself. In living an ordinary human life for 30 years, he humbled himself. He slept outside, he associated with outcasts, he forgave sinners, and finally, he let himself be nailed to a cross out of love for you and me.
In washing their feet, Jesus wasn't just giving them a good example. Jesus was ordaining them into his new priesthood. The priests of the Temple washed their hands and feet before entering to offer sacrifice; these priests of the New Covenant were washed by the Lord so that they could go out and offer the sacrifice that Jesus would leave behind.
The priests of the Old Covenant had no hereditary land like the rest of the Israelites; these new priests would have Jesus as their sole inheritance and dedicate their lives completely to him.
It's at the Last Supper, through the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, that our Lord gave the Church it's perpetual celebration - the feast where Jesus gives us himself and we become part of him.
Sacrifice and service.
Jesus is the sacrifice. He gave his life to set us free from our slavery to sin.
He humbled himself and served us, washing us clean and welcoming us into the family of God.
Now, through the Catholic priesthood, the Church continues to offer the sacrifice of Jesus and follow his example of humble service.
All of us are called to that life of sacrifice and service by participating in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist, and serving our brothers and sisters, even the ones we don't know or don't like, just like Jesus.
But I don't want to water this down: Jesus is calling men to follow him as his priests. Yes, even men in this parish at this Mass.
If you are a young, unmarried man, I want you to listen very closely: be open to God's call. Be willing to give your life completely to the service of Jesus and his Church.
No, it's not the norm. It's not what our world expects young men to do. Do it anyway. Ask the Lord if he is calling you to live that life of sacrifice and service as a Catholic priest. And if you hear that call, or even think you might be hearing that call, have the courage to say yes.
I've known many fine priests in my life. The pastors I grew up with, including Fr. Chillog back in the day, have all, through the way they lived their priesthood, encouraged me to follow the Lord.
The pastor of my home parish of St. Peter's in Steubenville for the years before I was ordained a priest was Msgr. George Yontz. He had a brother who was also a priest, Msgr. Bill Yontz. It's his chalice that I'll be using tonight, and it's a good reminder to me of the great heritage that I get to share in.
Jesus established the priesthood of the New Covenant to make present, for all time, his sacrifice of love. Tonight, as we remember and celebrate that gift, let us all strive to imitate his life of loving sacrifice and humble service.
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