Holy Thursday

What an extraordinary pope ... 

removing his finery, going out to the streets 

to minister to those outside the walls ...

"As priests, we identify with people who are excluded, people the Lord saves."

This morning, the Holy Father first celebrated the Chrism Mass with the priests of Rome - the Bishop and his priests together ...

As priests, we are witnesses to and ministers of the ever-increasing abundance of the Father’s mercy; we have the rewarding and consoling task of incarnating mercy, as Jesus did, who “went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38) in a thousand ways so that it could touch everyone. We can help to inculturate mercy, so that each person can embrace it and experience it personally. This will help all people truly understand and practise mercy with creativity, in ways that respect their local cultures and families. - Homily

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He “went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38)



Later, he celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper with refugees and immigrants - washing their feet:

Service was a major theme of the Holy Thursday liturgy: Pope Francis, in imitation of Christ at the Last Supper, performed the ritual washing of the feet of a dozen people – eleven guests of the C.A.R.A. Centre and one woman who works at the Centre for Auxilium. Four of the guests taking part in the ritual were Nigerian Catholics, three others – all three women – were Coptic Christians from Eritrea, three others were Muslims from Syria, Pakistan and Mali, and one was an Indian Hindu. - VR

What an extraordinary pope ... removing his finery, going out to the streets to minister to those outside the walls ...

Tonight, at my parish, the new, young pastor will act similarly, washing the feet of men and women parishioners who are active in parish ministries.

A blessed Triduum to all.