Day 158: Wash All of Me
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This is day 158.

To download the prayer plan for Rosary in a Year, visit ascensionpress.com forward slash rosary in a year or text R-I-Y to 33777. You'll get an outline of how we're going to pray each month and it's a great way to track your progress. The best place to listen to the podcast is in the Ascension app. There are special features built just for this podcast and also recordings of the full rosary with myself and other friars.

On behalf of myself and the whole team here at Ascension, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's helped support this podcast financially. Your generosity is so appreciated and helps us to reach as many people as possible. And if you haven't already, please consider supporting us at ascensionpress.com forward slash support. Today we will be meditating upon and praying with the Fifth Luminous Mystery, the institution of the Eucharist with help from a painting entitled The Last Supper by the artist

Juan de Juanez. And now an introduction to our artists and painting. Juan de Juanez was born in the year 1507. He died in the year 1579. And he was a well-known Spanish Renaissance painter. His real name was Vicente Juan Masip. After his father, who was also a painter,

He spent most of his career in Valencia and painted religious scenes exclusively. This painting was done in the year 1562. And now a description of our painting. The Last Supper before a rounded archway in a classical banquet hall, Jesus wearing an indigo tunic and crimson cloak is seated at a long table with a white tablecloth.

which is set with bread and wine, a chalice, a platter, and knives on the table. His disciples crowd around the table in colorful tunics and bare feet. Jesus elevates a round white host in the fingers of his right hand as he rests his left hand over his chest, gesturing to himself. His gentle yet piercing gaze is turned towards the viewer.

In rapt attention, the disciples, crowned with fine gold halos, are fixated on Jesus with devotion, attention, and they profoundly gaze at his presentation in awe, leaning and pointing towards Christ. Now, as I prayed with, sat with today's painting of the Last Supper by artist Juan de Juanez, what I noticed immediately, like what immediately stands out, is the adoration for

and the, if you will, like the contemplation, the beholding being done by the apostles. Jesus, right, his hand, the first Eucharistic monstrance, elevates the sacred host as a priest does at Mass. And his gesture proclaims, like, this is my body given for you. Behold, behold, behold the Lamb of God, adore, worship, receive.

This is my body given for you. And the apostles here, like they get it. They adore. Like it's really beautiful. It's really moving for me. But then look, like notice Jesus' eyes, right? As we noted, his look is to us, the viewer. And he's not only saying like these words, like behold to those at the table with him in this precise historical moment, but to all of us.

behold, this is my body given for you. And quickly sit with it. Like my mind as a, as a good Franciscan, it moved to this prayer of St. Francis. So if you'll excuse me for using an extended quote, but it's one of the best of all time. These are the words of St. Francis. Let everyone be struck with fear. Let the whole world tremble and let the heavens exult when Christ is

The Son of the living God is present on the altar in the hands of a priest. O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! The Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under an ordinary piece of bread. Brothers, look at the humility of God.

and pour out your hearts before Him. Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him. Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally." My brothers and sisters, let's do it. Behold, look at the humility of God. Behold the humility of God.

And like the apostles in this painting, like adore, pour out your hearts before him and hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves. Like our lady did. Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves so that he who gives himself totally may receive you totally. As we say amen, like in our prayer at mass, we say amen to Jesus giving his body for us. Behold, like this is my body given for you. And we say, yes, amen.

to Jesus' body being broken and given for us. And we say yes to receiving the gift of Jesus shedding his blood for us. Like, yes, Jesus. Like, I receive all of you and all that you give. And a little other note, we see right at the foreground of the painting, the instrument that Jesus would have used for the washing of the feet. And it calls to mind like this encounter with Peter, where at first Peter hesitates to having his feet washed, but then he says, okay, well then like wash all of me.

And I think this is kind of like the movement we want to have before the most holy Eucharist. Jesus, like I receive you totally. Wash all of me with your blood. And we, like, as we say yes to this most holy Eucharist, like in holding back nothing of ourselves for ourselves so that he who has given himself totally may receive us totally. Like we say yes to Jesus coming to all parts of our hearts, of our world, of our relationships, right?

Like, Jesus, I want all of you and I give all of me and I receive all of you. Like there's just this totality to the giving and the reception of this gift, the gift being given, right? By the divine bridegroom to which we say yes. So as we pray today, let's keep this painting before us. Let's keep the most holy Eucharist before us. Look at the humility of God. Pour out your hearts before him, even now.

and hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, so that he who has given himself totally may receive you totally. And now, with Mary, let us pray. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All right, thanks so much for joining me and praying with me today. I look forward to continuing this journey with you again tomorrow. Poco a poco, friends. God bless you all.