Holy Week, Part II: Holy Thursday

In these images from the celebration of the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper at St. Peter's Basilica, we see two of the most memorable moments of the liturgy: the washing of the feet, and the Eucharistic procession which concludes the Mass. Through the liturgy, the Church tells us that these two actions are, in a sense, one and the same.

The liturgy of Holy Thursday is one of the richest and most complex of the entire year. So many things happen during this Mass--from the washing of feet, to the procession of gifts, to the commemoration of the Lord's Supper, the Eucharistic procession and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. All these disparate elements work together like the movements of a symphony: one theme unites them. That theme is love.

The theme is emphasized over and over again in the texts of the Mass. ""We are gathered here," says the Opening Prayer, "to share in the supper which your only Son left to his Church to reveal his love". We pray that in this Eucharist we may find the fullness of love and life." The liturgy of Holy Thursday does not simply tell us about Christ's love; through word, action, and sacrament, we experience it.

The readings are full of rich contrasts. First we hear the Exodus account of the Passover meal, and how it is to be observed. It is a community feast; families too small for a whole lamb must join with their neighbors. The sharing of the meal is in itself an act of solemn remembrance. Then comes St. Paul's account of the Lord's Supper: gone is the sacrificial lamb, to be slaughtered at twilight; instead Christ gives his own body and blood to his new family: not just the twelve gathered in the upper room, but all who gather in his name. And then comes the reading from John's Gospel, which does not mention the Passover meal at all. Instead, John recounts how Christ washed the feet of his disciples. In Jesus, God's love for the Chosen People becomes a love so intimate that it is startling, perhaps even frightening: "Master, are you going to wash my feet? "You will never wash my feet." Jesus" response to Peter is as full of challenge as it is of love: "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." This intimate love is not an option; it is the only way to fellowship with Jesus.

Following the homily, the rite of foot washing takes place. The Archbishop and Father Ryan do as Jesus did--they take off their "outer garment", kneel down, and wash and dry the feet of members of the assembly. As Lawrence Johnson observes, "the Holy Thursday foot washing is neither dramatic imitation nor scriptural reenactment. It is a ritual gesture expressive of our commitment to serve one another in love, peace, and humility." The people chosen for the washing of feet represent the entire community--young and old, men and women. The foot washing is a tangible emblem of Christ's servant leadership. "Do you realize what I have done for you?" Jesus asked his disciples after he had washed their feet. "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

During the washing of feet, various chants are sung, including a setting of the text "I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you." So powerful is this moment in the rite that in England Holy Thursday has long been called Maundy Thursday, an echo of the Latin words of this antiphon, Mandatum novum.

The relief of the Last Supper in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is based on Da Vinci. The gestures and expressions of the twelve perfectly express their amazement. Of all the "hard sayings" of Jesus, none are more challenging than the words we hear him speak tonight.

It is not by accident that our next ritual action (following the final Dismissal of the Elect, and the General Intercessions) is the procession with our gifts for the poor. The collection is taken up every week, of course; but at this Mass we are invited to come forward to the altar with our gifts. We have witnessed Christ's servant-love in action in the washing of the feet; and before we approach the altar to receive the Eucharist, we come forward with our gifts for the poor. Love leads to service. "Eucharistic communion" includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn," writes Pope Benedict XVI in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. "A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented." Pope John Paul II said it even more bluntly: "By our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need, we will be recognize as true followers of Christ. This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged." During the procession, the hymn Ubi caritas is sung. This beautiful prayer is an insistent reminder that the Eucharist we gather to celebrate is all about love: "Where love and charity are found, God is there." The hymn repeats the insistent refrain of the Holy Thursday liturgy: that we cannot love God unless we also love our neighbor. "Therefore when we are together, let us take heed not to be divided in mind. Let there be an end to bitterness and quarrels, an end to strife, and in our midst be Christ our God."

The drama of love which unfolds during the Holy Thursday liturgy reaches its climax in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Indeed, the Greek word agape, which means love, has sometimes been used as a synonym for the Eucharist. The Eucharistic Prayer which we hear Sunday after Sunday takes on new urgency on this night when we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist, which is also the night of Christ's betrayal. In the procession of gifts, we were called to be givers; here, we are called to be receivers, to come before God with our empty hands and let him fill them with good things. The preface for today speaks of the paradox of Christ's life-giving death: "As we eat his body which he gave for us, we grow in strength. As we drink his blood which he poured out for us, we are washed clean."

At this Mass, enough hosts are consecrated for Good Friday as well; and after communion, these hosts are carried in solemn procession to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

On the great feast of Corpus Christi, we take to the streets and carry the Blessed Sacrament with festive music, flowers, and banners; on this night, our Eucharistic procession has a different purpose and a different feeling. "In the Holy Thursday procession," writes Pope Benedict XVI, "the Church accompanies Jesus to the Mount of Olives: it is the authentic desire of the Church in prayer to keep watch with Jesus, not to abandon him in the night of the world, on the night of betrayal, on the night of the indifference of many people." Walking with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, we try to "stay awake" with him through the hours of darkness.

Pope Benedict draws a parallel between this movement and the Passover. At the Passover, the blood of the sacrificial lamb marked the doorposts and lintels of the houses, and protected those within from the destroyer. On the night of Holy Thursday, Jesus goes out from the safety of the upper room, "and hands himself over to the betrayer, the destroyer, and in so doing, overcomes the night, overcomes the darkness of evil" Crossing over the threshold of death, he becomes living Bread, true manna, endless nourishment for eternity." This is expressed in a different way in the wonderful poetry of St. Thomas Aquinas which we sing during the procession:

Let us therefore adore this great Sacrament,
As the old covenant gives way to new rites;
For faith aids us where our senses fail.

When the procession reaches the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Archbishop places the ciborium in the tabernacle, incenses it, and departs. There are no more spoken prayers, no concluding rites; in fact, we will not be formally dismissed until the conclusion of the Easter Vigil. The one great liturgy that is the Triduum will continue the following evening with Good Friday of the Lord"s Passion.