According to the Gospels, Jesus Himself instituted the Holy Eucharist. In the Gospel of Luke we read that, when the hour came, Jesus wanted to eat the Passover lamb with His disciples (Lk 22:14). The reason Jesus wanted this is because He knew that the time to glorify His Father by the sacrifice on the cross was near, “for I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God (Lk 22:16).” Following these words, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist,
“He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying ‘This is my body, which will be given for you.’”
He followed these words with a commandment to His disciples saying, “do this in memory of Me. (Lk 22:19).” Jesus intentionally wanted to institute the sacrament of the Eucharist because He wanted to perpetuate His holy sacrifice “throughout the ages until He should come again” (CCC 1323).
On the Feast of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
Gustavo Valdez
