Now he showed how perfect was his love.

How faithful a friend is Christ Jesus, a friend never unmindful of his own! Because "he loved them to the end" he gave them, as he was about to die, the uttermost proof of his love.

Falling down before them he washed their feet, in order to leave both to them and to all his followers a supreme example of humility; and accordingly he told them, "I have given you this example so that you yourselves may deal with others as I have with you."

After that, we have no grounds for pride, creatures of earth and ashes as we are, since the God of eternal majesty has so abased and emptied himself as to perform a slave’s office.

He went further, and gave a yet greater sign of his love by instituting this wonderful sacrament as a memorial of his sacred death. "Take this", he said: "This is my body, which will be delivered up for you. Do this in memory of me."

These are burning words indeed; what ardent charity breathes through them! "Do this in memory of me." Let it be to you a memorial of my whole life of shining purity, and a mirror of my laborious passion.

Yes, I tell you, I have engraved you on my hands; more than that, the lance has carved you upon my heart, and I long to carry you in my inmost being as in a mother’s womb. Respond to me, then, by celebrating this memorial of me and receiving my sacred body.

Let us make haste, dearly beloved, to wash our feet as speedily as we may, and with tears expunge the stains from our hearts by repentance, so that we may worthily approach the table of the King of Kings, Christ Jesus.

As we eat the living bread which "has come down from heaven," may he find us fit to draw from this divine food the richest of benefits.

Christ Jesus himself has promised that "whoever eats this bread will live for ever"; may he then bestow this life upon us by his most gracious mercy, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Amen.

(Sermon 22 on Holy Thursday: Opera I, 456-57)

Alonso de Orozco (1500-91) studied at the University of Salamanca before entering the Augustinian novitiate there. His main apostolates in the Order were preaching and writing, and although he was chosen as royal preacher at the Spanish court, he preferred to speak to poor and simple people. His religious life was marked by a spirit of fraternity, gospel simplicity and moderation in speech. As an ascetic and great mystic, he suffered crises and spiritual aridity from 1522-51. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1882.