On this night, Jesus Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Priesthood.  The Lord gives us His very Body and Blood as our food! He takes pity on us and gives us shepherds to resemble Himself, the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.

On this night, Christ rewards the faith of His apostles by showing them what He meant when He said, “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.”  He also shows them what He meant by “give them something to eat yourselves:” He enables them to feed His flock  lest they faint on the way.

Without priests, there is no Eucharist. The devil orchestrates attempts to destroy the priesthood from within and from without.  More than anything, he would like priests to go to hell. Priests in hell are his prized trophies. His favorites are priests who give in to grave improprieties and diminish credibility in the holy priesthood, thereby disfiguring it. And then, he influences people to point fingers and make generalizations attacking the priesthood for crimes perpetrated by a few (yet too many) rotten apples.

Tonight, let us thank God for His greatest gifts and beseech Him to preserve them in His Love. Pray for priests in this Year for Priests!