SIMPLE40 - Day 38 - Legacy of Love
- Katie Donahue
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
Holy Thursday
As we enter into the Triduum on this Holy Thursday, we are invited to slow down, to become attentive, and to turn our hearts fully toward Christ. Look closely at what He does tonight. He does not give us something insignificant or symbolic, He gives us everything. In the Eucharist, He offers us His continual presence, a love so immense that it remains with us always.
This gift is not meant to be kept to ourselves.
At the end of every Mass, we are sent forth: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” These are not just closing words, they are a mission. We are called to carry Christ into the world, to make His love visible in the ordinary moments of our day.
The question is simple and searching: do we truly live as people sent forth on mission?
Tonight’s Gospel shows us exactly how.
Christ, the Lord of all, kneels down and washes the feet of His disciples. In this quiet, humbling act, He reveals the heart of love, one that serves, lowers itself, and gives without counting the cost. Then, He leaves us with a command that is both beautiful and challenging:
I give you a new commandment:
love one another.
As I have loved you,
so you also should love one another.
~John 13:34
This love is meant to take shape in real relationships. Your neighbor is not abstract...it is the person right in front of you: your spouse, your child, your friend, your coworker, even the one who stretches your patience.
And yes, sometimes loving them is difficult.
But perhaps that is the point.
These moments of challenge are not interruptions to your spiritual life, they are your spiritual life. They are the very places where charity is formed and deepened. When it feels hard to love or to serve, gently remind yourself: in loving this person, I am loving Christ Himself.
This Holy Thursday, receive His love in the Eucharist…and then go, and do likewise.
spiritual
Make every effort to attend Holy Thursday Mass this evening. Step into the beauty and mystery of this night with a quiet, attentive heart. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and celebrating its institution is not simply something we remember, it is something we enter into.
On this night, we stand at the threshold of the Passion. Jesus, true man, will soon suffer and die. Yet, as true God, He does something astonishing...He gives Himself to us completely and perpetually. He does not leave us alone. He becomes our nourishment, our strength, our abiding presence, feeding us for the journey until the end of time.
Allow these words of St. Catherine of Siena to echo in your heart:
You who are mad about Your creature! True God and true Man, You have left Yourself wholly to us, as food, so that we will not fall through weariness during our pilgrimage in this life, but will be fortified by You, celestial Nourishment!
In tonight’s Gospel, we hear a line that captures everything: “He loved them to the end.” This means that each one of us can say with confidence: He gave His life for me.
This love is living and present, not distant or symbolic.
It is no coincidence that this assurance of Christ’s love is united with the institution of both the Eucharist and the priesthood. Through these gifts, Jesus continues to draw near. He continues to stoop down, to wash, to serve, to sanctify, and to love.
Tonight, simply receive.
Let yourself be loved by Him...fully, personally, and to the end.
self
As we have been reflecting throughout Lent with Pope Leo XIV’s call to deeper interior renewal, remember this: love begins within.
Did you know that you can love your neighbor not only through your actions, but through your thoughts and your words?
Holiness is often formed in these hidden places.
Allow the grace of Christ to gently reshape your inner dialogue, your first reactions, your assumptions, and even the words you choose to speak. This is where true conversion and charity take root.
When you feel irritation rise or judgment creep in, pause and make a simple shift:
Don't say, "That person bothers me."
Think: "That person sanctifies me."
~St. Josemaria Escriva
As St. Josemaría Escrivá reminds us, the very people who challenge us are often the instruments God uses to refine our hearts.
This Holy Thursday, let your love become more intentional, more interior, and more like His: quiet, patient, and transforming from the inside out.
service
Finally, we are called to love and serve our neighbor through our deeds.
The people God has placed in your life: your family, your friends, the stranger in your path are not there by accident. Caring for them with intentional kindness and respect does not complicate life; it actually simplifies it. When you choose charity, you begin to let go of unnecessary drama, frustration, and interior unrest.
As we continue our commitment to 40+ acts of service this Lent, don’t lose sight of the how. These acts are not just about checking something off a list for the sake of getting it done, it’s actually about doing each act with love. Even the smallest gesture, done with a sincere heart, becomes something beautiful in the eyes of God.
When you encounter someone who irritates or offends you, choose differently. Smile. Be kind anyway. When tensions rise, be the first to soften, the first to apologize, the first to bring peace. This is how love takes flesh in daily life.
Treat others as you yourself desire to be treated, not in theory, but in the real, ordinary moments of your day.
And through it all, keep Christ at the center of your thoughts, your words, and your actions.
Let everything you do today be rooted in Him…and done with love.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
~John 13:15-17
simple recipe
We like to keep things SIMPLE on Holy Thursday with a charcuterie board featuring at the very least, flatbread (easy sourdough pita) and grapes to call to mind the Last Supper. I will make some homemade hummus and have carrots, bell peppers and celery for dipping, along with a small selection of cheese, crackers, olives and cured meats.
If you are looking for something a little more substantial, check out Catholic All Year's Holy Thursday Meal Plan.
It's fun to do something to commemorate the day and make memories with your kids.
For your Easter brunch:
PECAN SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
This recipe was originally found on Allrecipes.com
Crumb Topping
1 1⁄2 cups pecans, finely chopped
1⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Directions
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch by 10-inch baking dish.
~Mix pecans, 1/3 cup sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter thoroughly in a mixing bowl until all components are coated with butter, 3 to 4 minutes.
~In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
In another bowl, mix together butter and 1 cup sugar with a spatula until well blended. Add 1 egg and whisk until mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in second egg until thoroughly incorporated. Add vanilla and sour cream; whisk together. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; whisk until flour disappears (do not over mix).
~Spread one half of the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Scatter one half of the crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter. Top with the rest of the batter and spread carefully to evenly distribute, trying not to disturb the crumbs. Top with the rest of the crumb topping. Very gently press crumbs into batter. Bake in preheated oven until a bamboo skewer comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
~Let cool slightly before serving.
Blessings to you as the Easter Triduum begins.
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