On Holy Thursday, the Church enters the heart of the Paschal Mystery—a journey of love, sacrifice, and transformation. During today’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Our Lady of Africa Mbuya Parish, Bishop Giuseppe Filippi delivered a deeply moving homily that invited the faithful to reflect on the perfection of love as revealed through Christ’s actions on the eve of His Passion.
A Night of Deep Love and Profound Meaning
Bishop Filippi began by drawing attention to the central theme of the evening: the boundless love of God. Referring to the Gospel, he reminded us that Jesus had always loved His own, but on this night, He revealed the fullness and perfection of that love.
He traced this love back to the Old Testament, to the Passover night in Egypt, where God spared the Israelites and led them towards freedom. This act of divine intervention was a celebration of God’s covenantal love with His people—a love that liberates and sets into motion a journey of faith.
Now, Jesus transforms that memorial feast. He takes the celebration of God’s love and uses it to say: “I show you My love.” This moment marks the transition from remembering God’s love to embodying it in Christ.
The Perfection of Love in the Face of Betrayal
Bishop Filippi powerfully emphasized that love becomes perfect not in comfort, but in adversity. Jesus was not surrounded by admiration or loyalty—He was betrayed by Judas, abandoned by His disciples, and left to face suffering alone. Yet He responded not with anger or revenge, but with forgiveness and humility.
“I forgive you before you betray Me,” Bishop Filippi paraphrased, explaining the profound meaning behind Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. The very feet that would flee from Him in fear were tenderly washed in a gesture of preemptive mercy. This, the Bishop said, is the perfection of love—loving not despite betrayal, but through it.
The Challenge of Receiving Divine Love
Using Peter’s initial resistance to having his feet washed, Bishop Filippi pointed to a deeper human struggle: the difficulty of receiving unconditional love. To accept God’s perfect love means to surrender control, to allow oneself to be transformed, and to commit to loving as Christ loves. This, he noted, often feels too demanding for our prideful and independent nature.
The Journey Toward Perfect Love
Drawing from the instructions given to Moses in the first reading, Bishop Filippi highlighted three symbolic elements of the Passover that teach us how to grow into this perfect love:
- The Lamb – Symbolizing Christ, the Word of God, who nourishes and strengthens us for the spiritual journey.
- Unleavened Bread – Representing the break from our past and attachments, inviting us to leave behind old ways to embrace new life.
- Bitter Herbs – A reminder that love, especially the kind that forgives and endures suffering, often involves bitterness and sacrifice.
“Unless we grow accustomed to taking in what is bitter—without anger, revenge, or rejection—we will not be able to walk the path of perfect love,” Bishop Filippi urged.
Love That Leads to Life
Bishop Filippi closed his homily by reminding the faithful that this journey, though challenging, leads to perfect peace, joy, and the fullness of life. Just as Jesus walked into the Garden of Olives and faced the agony of betrayal, we too are called to walk with Him—strengthened by His Word, stripped of worldly attachments, and prepared to love even in pain.
Conclusion
Bishop Filippi’s message on Holy Thursday was a profound invitation to move beyond superficial love and embrace the radical, forgiving, and transformative love of Christ. As we journey through the Triduum, may we take this message to heart—striving not just to remember Christ’s love but to live it in all its depth and perfection.
