HOLY THURSDAY.

TODAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF EASTER
TRIDUUM. (A 3day period before Easter. Holy
Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday).
Holy Thursday(Maundy Thursday) is the day before
Good Friday and it commemorates the 'Washing of
the disciples feet' by our Lord'- A sign of his
humility and service. And it also commemorates the
LAST SUPPER of Jesus Christ with his disciples.
On Holy Thursday there is a special Mass in the
morning in all Cathedrals, (commonly known as the 'Chrism Mass' or 'Cathedraticum') attended by as many
priests and congregation of the diocese as can
attend, because it is a solemn observance of
Christ's institution of the priesthood. At this 'Chrism
Mass', the Bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism used for
Baptism and Confirmation. The bishop washes the
feet of twelve of the priests, to symbolize Christ's
washing of the feet of His Apostles, the first priests.
(Note that in some diocese' this Chrism mass has been shifted to be celebrated on any day shortly before the Holy week. E.g Abuja Archdiocese). This was adopted because in times past, the priests got back late to their parishes for the evening liturgy.

The Holy Thursday liturgy, is celebrated in the
evening because Passover of Jesus with His disciples began at sunset, it
shows both the worth Jesus ascribes to the humility
of service, and the need for cleansing with water (a
symbol of baptism). The officiating priest also strips
of his Chasuble-d BIG outer garment he wear (in imitation of Jesus-John 13:4) and washes
the feet of 12male parishoners.

The action of the Church on Holy Thursday night is
a sign of the Church's REVERENCE for Christ's Body
present in the CONSECRATED HOST in the
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, carried in
SOLEMN PROCESSION admist chants of 'Pangue
Lingua Gloriosi' to the flower-bedecked Altar of
Repose, where it will remain hidden until the
communion service on Good Friday. It can also be
kept in the Chapel of the Parish house for security
purposes. No Mass will be celebrated again in the
Church until the Easter Vigil proclaims the
Resurrection.
And finally, there is the Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament by the congregation during the night
(They are divided into groups. An hour of adoration
for each group. (Just our Lord admonished His disciples to do in Mark 14:37 during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
before the betrayal by Judas).

Holy Thursday is the day on which Catholics
commemorate the
institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the
Sacrament of HOLY COMMUNION, the
PRIESTHOOD, and the MASS. During the Last
Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the
very words that priests use today to consecrate the
Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the
Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Do this in
remembrance of Me," He instituted the Mass and
made them the first priests.

NOTE: The liturgical colour of Today is WHITE
signifying salvation. The Gloria is chanted with the
use of piano and other musical instruments while
bells are rung by the altarservers in d church during
the Gloria. After the Gloria, ALL THE BELLS AND
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS GO SILENT until Holy
Saturday. All singing is to be done in Accapela
(natural voice, no accompaniment). In place of the
Altar bells, a WOODEN CLAPPER is used during
consecration and while transferring the Body of
Christ to the Altar of repose for Veneration.
(An analogy has it that the ringing of bells signify the joy the disciples had with Jesus shortly before his Agony in the garden and that the reason for the clapper is a symbol of the fear that enveloped the disciples knowin fully well that their master was about to die, so they talked in hush tones).

Good morning

oh Lord help me to keep to my obligation