HOLY WEEK (THE PASSION WEEK) – EASTER TRIDUUM: HOLY THURSDAY (MANDY THURSDAY) & GOOD FRIDAY

Dear friends in Christ, with today being Holy Thursday (or Maundy Thursday as it is traditionally called), we have successfully stepped into the most important and solemn period in the Church’s liturgical calendar, which ushers us to the celebration of Easter, the Mother of all Celebrations. This period is known as Easter/Paschal Triduum. It is important to note that the word “Triduum” originates from Latin. It is used to refer to a period of three days of prayer before a feast. Thus, Easter Triduum refers to the activities of the Church during the three days preceding Easter. Thus, we talk about Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

Maundy Thursday gets its name from the Latin word “mandatum,” which means “commandment.” According to Christian tradition, near the end of the Last Supper, after the disciple Judas had departed, Christ said to the remaining disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34). The Latin term became the Middle English word Maundy by way of the Old French “mande.” The Church lives out Christ’s commandment to love one another in a number of ways through her traditions on Maundy Thursday. The best-known way is the ‘washing of the feet’ of laymen by their priest during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which recalls Christ’s washing of the feet of His disciples, as we see in today’s Gospel Reading (cf. John 13:1-15). Aside from celebrating Jesus’ mandate (commandment) of love on this day, we also celebrate the anniversary of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood, and also the institution of the Ministerial Priesthood in order to perpetuate the Holy Mass, convey God’s forgiveness to repentant sinners and preach the Good News of Salvation. This was brought about by Christ who transformed the Jewish Passover into the New Testament Passover.

On Holy Thursday, we remember the Lord’s Last Supper with his Apostles, in which He institutes the Sacrament of His body and blood (Holy Eucharist) – “TAKE AND EAT, THIS IS MY BODY…THIS IS MY BLOOD…DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME” (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; {Cf: 1Cor. 11:23-25}). With these words, Jesus chose his apostles to serve and lead the Church; put differently, Jesus ordains His Apostles as priests of the New Covenant, in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross – only a priest can offer gifts and sacrifice. To this day, the catholic priest continues to act “in persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) and re-enacts the sacrifice offered once and for all by Christ in His memory (“Do this in memory of me” 1Cor.11:25). This is known as the priesthood of Christ in the order of Melchizedek and should not be likened to the Levite priesthood of the Old Testament. In fact, St. Paul tells us in 1Cor. 11:26-27 that whenever we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ, we proclaim his death, until He comes again. Therefore, Holy Thursday is a special day for all Catholic Priests, a day which marks the beginning of the ordained priesthood. The Mass is celebrated in the evening, and it’s a beautiful and joyful celebration. During the singing of the Gloria, the church bells are rung and then remain silent until the Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday night.