A meaningful Holy Thursday reflection inspired by 1 Corinthians 11:24, calling us to express love through action in daily life.
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There is a moving story from Baramati in Maharashtra from the year 2013. An
elderly woman named Letha Bhagavan Kare lived a simple life as
a daily wage labourer with her husband, Bhujbal Kare. One day, her husband fell
seriously ill with a heart infection, and the treatment required about five
thousand rupees, an amount far beyond their reach.
She tried to gather help by asking from others, but what she received was
not enough. In the midst of this struggle, she heard about a local marathon
that offered a cash prize for senior citizens. Without training, without
preparation, and without even proper shoes, she decided to run.
On the day of the race, she stood in her simple Navari saree among trained
runners. The road was harsh, the heat burned her feet, and sharp stones pierced
her skin. Even her slippers broke along the way. Yet she did not stop. She ran
with only one aim, to save her husband.
And in a moment that speaks more of love than of strength, she finished
first in her category and received the exact amount needed for his treatment.
Her story is not just about running. It is about love that refused to remain
silent.
This leads us to the heart of Holy Thursday.
Today we remember the washing of the feet, the
institution of the Holy Eucharist, and the gift of the priesthood. But at the
centre of all these is one simple truth, love. Not a love that remains hidden,
not a love that stays within the heart, but a love that moves, that acts, that
expresses itself.
The love of Jesus was so deep that it could not
remain unexpressed. It compelled Him to find a way to remain with us. He did
not want His presence to become only a memory. He desired to stay, to
accompany, to nourish, to be near us in every moment of our lives. This is why
He chose the Eucharist. It is not simply a ritual. It is love finding a way to
remain.
At the same time, we see something even more
striking. Jesus was so humble that He chose the lowest place. He, the Master
and Lord, knelt down and washed the feet of His own disciples. No one could be
more humble than Him. Love pushed Him downwards, not upwards. Love made Him
serve.
Saint Paul reminds us of this mystery when he
says, “He humbled himself” (Philippians 2:8). This humility is not weakness. It
is the strength of love. First, He humbled Himself by taking the form of a
servant, washing the feet of those who followed Him. Then He humbled Himself
again, even more deeply, by becoming the Holy Eucharist.
To become bread, to become something so
simple, so ordinary, so easily ignored, is the greatest expression of love. In
the Eucharist, He hides Himself so that we may receive Him. He lowers Himself
so that we may be lifted up. He becomes small so that we may draw near without
fear.
This is love that expresses itself completely.
When we place this beside the story of Letha
Bhagavan Kare, the meaning becomes clearer. She loved her husband, but she did
not keep that love within her heart. She expressed it. She ran, she struggled,
she endured pain, she humbled herself by begging, and she did everything
possible to save him.
In the same way, Jesus did not simply say that He loves us. He showed it. He knelt, He gave, He became. Love must be expressed. The love that is not expressed is a dead love.
In our daily life, this becomes a very serious and personal call. It is not enough to feel love. It is not enough to say it. Love must take form. It must be seen in our actions. But the question is simple and searching. Are we really expressing our love in our day to day life, or are we only carrying it silently within us?
There is a painful story that brings this truth very close to our hearts. A
woman lived with a husband who was deeply addicted to alcohol. Day after day,
she suffered silently. She hoped he would change. She longed for a small sign
of care, a word of love, a gesture that showed she mattered. But that change
never came. His love, if it was there, was never expressed.
One day, unable to bear the pain any longer, she took her own life. That moment shook the husband deeply. It broke him from within. He realised what he had lost. He stopped drinking. He changed his life. Every day, he began to go to her tomb, standing there in silence, praying, remembering, regretting.
One day, as the story is told, he felt a voice within him, as though she was speaking from that silence, saying, if only you had done this earlier, I would still be alive. Those words carry a deep truth. Love that is delayed can become love that is lost. Love that is not expressed at the right time can become a regret that no change can undo.
This is why Holy Thursday speaks so powerfully to us. Jesus did not delay His love. He did not wait. He did not keep it for later. He expressed it while His disciples were still with Him. He knelt before them. He served them. He gave Himself to them.
He did not want His love to become a memory of what could have been. He made it a living reality. In our families, in our communities, in our relationships, how often do we delay love. We think there will be another time. We assume there will be another chance. We hold back words of appreciation. We postpone forgiveness. We fail to notice the silent suffering of those around us. But life does not always wait.
Holy Thursday reminds us of something very simple and very urgent. Express
love while there is still time. Show care while the other person is still near.
Speak kindness while the heart is still open to receive it.
Love must not remain hidden. It must not be postponed. It must not be delayed. Because love that is not expressed becomes a loss, and sometimes a loss that cannot be repaired. So today, let us ask ourselves honestly. Are we expressing our love, or are we only carrying it within us? Jesus showed us the way. He loved, and He expressed it. And today, He invites us to do the same. Love must be expressed.
Lord, help me to express my love through simple acts of service each day.
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