He went away, yet He remained... (HOLY THURSDAY)

The Paschal Triduum begins with the Evening Mass In Cena Domini on Holy Thursday, continues through the Friday of the Lord's Passion, reaches its summit in the Solemn Paschal Vigil, and comes to a close with Sunday Vespers of the Lord's Resurrection - a full three days - evening Thursday through evening Sunday (According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar).

HOLY THURSDAY

Institution of the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders 

“Consider, on your knees, the mystery of God’s love for us, that He didn't want to leave us orphans. … For Christ knew our hunger for Himself.  He knew that we would be walking around in the darkness of a thousand wars and miseries throughout this life. …

This is Holy Thursday.  This is when the Christ we are talking about took an ordinary piece of bread and a little wine and changed it into His Body and His Blood. … Remember this day always, year after year:  the day of Christ’s infinite love, when He went away and yet He remained, in Bread and Wine, and in the priest. …

In His immense love, Christ chose men who would have His hands and His feet, in whom He could walk, in whom He could forgive sins, who could lift Him up, who could give us the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist – the Bread and Wine, which He said makes for everlasting life!  The incredible love of God is visible to us! ..."

Catherine de Hueck Doherty

Image above: The Last Supper ~ Daniele Crespi

 

"Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord 
would be of no avail.  It is the priest who continues

the work of redemption here on earth... 

Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest and

they will end by worshipping the beasts there...

The priest is not a priest  for himself,

he is a priest for you."

"O, how great is the priest!...

If he realized what he is, he would die."

St John Vianney

 

Pray, pray, pray for our priests!
They rely on our prayers -
and we rely on our priests!

As Father John Hardon, S.J., once said, “praying and offering God sacrifices for the priesthood are indispensably important,” because “there is no Catholic Church without the priesthood.”

Prayer for Priests to pray today...
and tomorrow and everyday... 
 (St Charles Borremeo)

O holy Mother of God, pray for the priests your Son has chosen to serve the Church. Help them, by your intercession, to be holy, zealous, and chaste. Make them models of virtue in the service of God’s people.

Help them be pious in meditation, efficacious in preaching, and zealous in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Help them administer the sacraments with joy. Amen

Learn more about praying for priests... 

Seven Sisters Apostolate