Thinking About Holy Thursday, by Michael Pakaluk

As Laetare Sunday recedes, Catholics become more focused on approaching Passion Week.   I like to encourage Catholics to embrace their faith as true by thinking about it – because only what is definite is true. So in preparation for Holy Thursday, I’d like to contemplate in advance with you four fascinating questions which Saint Thomas considers about the Last Supper. (ST III, 81)

First, he raises the question most of us have thought about, whether Judas received the sacred mysteries, or did Judas depart before these were distributed?  St. Thomas puts the question in the active voice: Did Jesus give the sacred mysteries to Judas or not? Which is correct, because clearly whether Judas received was up to the will of Christ. …