Holy Thursday, also called Maundy Thursday (comes from a Latin word which means commandment)
, begins the Easter (Paschal) Triduum. Traditionally, the Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday, but most diocese change the day so that priests can actually attend. Here in our archdiocese, the Chrism Mass is celebrated on Tuesday of Holy Week.
At the celebration of the Chrism Mass the oils are blessed and the Chrism is consecrated and later that day the oils & Chrism are received at the Celebration of the Last Supper, which Holy Thursday devotes itself to the remembrance of.
At this supper on the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus, offered his body and blood to the Father in the form of bread and wine, giving it to his apostles to eat and drink.
Then Jesus enjoined the apostles and their successors to the priesthood. He washed the feet of his disciples and taught them how they were to treat people.
Besides providing the reality of his resurrection, Jesus had another task to fulfill during those 40 days; to complete the training and commissioning of his twelve apostles. At the Celebration of the Last Supper we celebrate the memorial of the institution of the Eucharist and also the institution of the priesthood.
Holy Thursday 2009
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Holy Thursday
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