January 26, 2022

What do we celebrate on Holy Thursday?

Holy Thursday is the Christian holiday that opens the so-called Easter Triduum, that is, the period of time in which the Christian and Catholic liturgy commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It constitutes the central moment of Holy Week and the liturgical year. Specifically, the institution of the Eucharist is celebrated at the Last Supper, the washing of the feet and prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.

Eucharist and Last Supper

On Holy Thursday Jesus of Nazareth dined with his 12 apostles to say goodbye to them before his death and share bread and wine with them. During dinner, Jesus Christ announced to them that one of them would betray him (Judas Iscariot). It also predicts Peter's denial. The most notable moment for Christians is the institution of the first Eucharist, one of the seven Catholic sacraments.

Jesus takes the bread, breaks it and distributes it among his disciples saying: "Take it, all of you, and eat it, for this is my body, which will be given for you." Then he takes the chalice with the wine and says: "Take and drink of it, all of you, for this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for all men for the forgiveness of sins."
The first Eucharist ends with Jesus saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," which the Catholic Church considers to be the institution of Holy Orders, another of the seven sacraments. In the Eucharist, bread and wine are consecrated and distributed among the faithful.

The washing of the feet

The washing of the feet also takes place at the Last Supper, which is interpreted as an action of humility by Jesus towards his disciples. Pedro is the only one who questions his foot washing. "You will never wash my feet," he snaps, since the apostle considers it a humiliation of his Lord towards him. "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me," Jesus Christ answers, according to the Gospels. To which Peter replied: "Lord, not only the feet, but even the hands and the head."

Prayer in the Garden of Gethseman
January 26, 2022
After the Last Supper comes prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus goes out to the garden to pray and asks his apostles to accompany him. But everyone is falling asleep little by little. In his agonizing prayer, Jesus Christ says: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. But not my will, but yours, be done." After the prayer he is arrested by a group commanded by Judas, who betrays him for 30 silver coins, just as he had prophesied.At that moment Peter cuts off the right ear with his sword of a servant of the High Priest, whom Jesus heals and pronounces the well-known phrase: "He who kills with iron, dies with iron."

January 26, 2022