The significance of Holy Thursday

In the Christian world, there are three very popular scenes found in many Filipino homes. The first is the Nativity or the belen, which is seen during the Christmas season. The second is the Crucifixion, which is displayed in the homes of faithful Catholics who use this as the site for special family prayers. I have seen many basketball and volleyball players before this image before going out to play. The third, surprisingly, is the Last Supper. It is said that one can always tell if the house is a Filipino home by looking for a Last Supper depiction, usually in the dining room.

I have heard many theories and stories trying to explain the popularity of the Last Supper portrait in Filipino homes. I hope someday someone can explain this phenomenon.

Holy Thursday is the first of the four-day Holy Week. It is also the day we commemorate the Last Supper, which is actually the first celebration of the mass. For Catholics, it is one of the most important holidays. It is on this day that the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was instituted. It is also the day that the Church celebrates the institution of the sacrament of the priesthood or Holy Orders.

Sometimes the day is called Maundy Thursday, which is derived from the Latin word mandatum or mandate or command. Because on this day, Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you. That you love one another as I have loved you.”

In the Catholic Church, the guidelines for the preparation and celebration of the Easter Feast were issued by the Vatican Office for Divine Worship on Jan. 16, 1988. It includes the rule for one of the most fascinating traditions of the Holy Thursday rites. This is the ceremony of the washing of the feet. The Rule says: “The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day represents the service and charity of Christ who came not to be served but to serve. This tradition should be maintained and its proper significance explained.”

Although the original rule specified that only men should participate in the foot washing ceremony, Pope Francis and many bishops have included women in the ceremony.

I remember a story that when Pope Francis was newly elected, he decided to celebrate the Maundy Thursday mass in a youth prison. He proceeded to wash the feet of 12 inmates which included two girls, one Italian Catholic and one Muslim. It was explained that by this action, Pope Francis wanted to show the world that he was serious about his role as “… a servant of all people and an evangelist to all people.” The washing and the kissing of the feet of a Muslim girl in prison was truly a democratic and significant moment in his papacy.

In 2016, it was announced that the Roman Missal had finally been revised to permit women to have their feet washed.

The Chrism Mass is also celebrated during the morning of Holy Thursday. This is when the bishop is joined by the priest of the diocese to gather at the cathedral. This mass shows the unity of the priest with their bishop.

By tradition, the bishop blesses three oils. The first is the oil of catechumens, the second is the oil of the infirm and the third is the holy chrism which is used in the administration of the sacraments throughout the diocese for the year. The oil of the catechumens is used for the sacrament of baptism. The oil of the infirm is used for anointing the sick for the sacrament of extreme unction.  The oil of the chrism, which traditionally is the mixture of olive oil and balsam, is used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Holy Orders.

One of the most unique Catholic traditions during Holy Thursday is the visitation of seven churches or the Visita Iglesia. This is actually an ancient Catholic Lenten tradition where the faithful are supposed to visit and pray before the Blessed Sacrament in seven churches after the mass of the Last Supper.  It is said that the tradition began in Rome as the early pilgrims visited the seven basilicas as penance.

In the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, it was the practice to visit the seven cathedrals in Intramuros.  Unfortunately, five cathedrals were destroyed during WW II and only two remain today, the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Cathedral.

Holy Thursday is the night we commemorate the Last Supper and the first Communion when Jesus said that the bread was his body broken for us and the wine, blood he shed for us. Holy Thursday is also the night when Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Today, as we commemorate Holy Thursday, we should remember the words of St. Angela of Foligno: “I am sure the thought of Christ’s love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude.”

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