His Lordship, John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, in Ghana’s Eastern Region, in a Homily for Holy Thursday 2025 challenged the faithful of St. Mary Mother of God Parish, Adeemra, to not just partake in the Holy Eucharist, but to live it out, as a mark of true love.
“It is not only a matter of celebrating the Eucharist; more importantly, it is living the Eucharist,” he buttressed.
According to the bishop, the Holy Thursday celebration is a re-enactment of what Jesus did for his disciples, just before his passion and death; he washed their feet, as a show of love and commanded them to do likewise to their fellow ones, and it was his hope that the love he has shown them may live on throughout the lives of the disciples and generations to come.
He further reiterated that for Christians to truly take Jesus’ words to heart, they must not end at attending Masses and partaking in the Eucharist, but should be able to reflect on some pertinent questions: “Are we able to live the Eucharist? Are we able to show that same love with which Jesus celebrated the first Eucharist with the disciples? Are we able to serve one another’s need as Jesus demonstrated at the last supper?”.
The Chief Shepherd likened the “unblemished” Lamb for the Sacrifice of the Mass, who is Christ himself, to the unblemished lamb which the Lord had commanded Moses to ask the Israelites to use for the Passover sacrifice.
He further cautioned the faithful to guard against, discrimination of any sort, being mindful of the fact that the Lord Jesus who dwells in them is the same Lord who lives in every human person; “no preferential treatment, no backbiting, no gossips with one another” as such things do not demonstrate the way Jesus lived with his disciples, he added.
Re-echoing the message of love from Jesus to all the faithful, Bishop Asiedu shared the story of a couple who lived happily together, until the man fell sick, paralysed and could not do anything for himself. Fortunately for him, his wife stood by him through it all, giving him all the needed assistance, and not long, the man got well and the woman too took ill. Hardly had the man done halfway what his wife had done for him in a similar situation, than he got fed up and asked her to quit and go back to her parents.
Juxtaposing these two characters: the woman who had to endure all odds, out of love, care, concern, and sincere service to her husband, and the man who suddenly seemed to have forgotten all that his wife did for him in his moment of agony, the prelate challenged the faithful to search within their hearts, who of those two characters speak of their own realities.
He further posed to them these thought-provoking questions: “How do we reflect our love for one another? How deep and how far do our services go? How sincere is our living relationship? How honest are we in dealing with one another? Do we truly carry out Jesus’ command – as I have done for you, do for one another, as I have served you, serve one another, as I have loved you, love one another?”.
The Bishop prayed that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper may always be a reminder to the Christians, of who they are; “followers of Jesus,” and whom they have pledged themselves to follow – Jesus. “Just as Jesus did not fail us, let us also not fail him. We should be ever ready to show true love to one another as we have experienced from Jesus himself,” he urged.
As part of the Holy Thurday Celebrations at Adeemra, the bishop symbolically washed the feet of twelve “disciples” including men, women and children.
Present at the Mass were the Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS), working at St. Mary’s Vocational / Technical Girls Senior High School, Adeemra, along with the parishioners.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate)
