Catholic Fire

Today begins the holiest and most important time of the Church year -- the Easter Triduum . It commemorates the heart of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sacred Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, which marks the end of the forty days of Lent and the beginning of the three-day celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday. The Triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The richness of the rituals and symbols help us to experience the mysteries of Jesus’ final hours, His passion, suffering -- and His rising from the dead. In a special way, during these three days,we come together as God's people to remember the saving act of Jesus, the miracle of His resurrection – and to celebrate our faith and identity as Catholics. Because Christ was willing to die for our sins and was raised from the dead, death is no longer the end of life for us. It is t...

Pope Francis celebrated one of the most important ceremonies of the year surrounded by the sick. His Holy Thursday Mass took place at the St. Mary of Providence Center, for the Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation. When he arrived, he greeted the families, workers and patients of this center, which takes care of people with special needs, as well as the elderly and sick. During his homily, he explained that in Jesus' times, slaves would wash the feet of their masters. He then added that when Jesus did the same for their disciples, he left them this tradition. POPE FRANCIS "We've listened to what Jesus said during the Last Supper: this gesture is a farewell. It is like a heritage he leaves us. He is God, and has made Himself servant, our servant. This is His heritage: you also must become servants of each other.” The Pope then asked everyone to compare this action to the personal attitude we have whens serving others. POPE FRANCIS "I will now wash their feet, bu...

Today is Holy Thursday , or Maundy Thursday, which solemnly celebrates the institution of the Eucharist as the true body and blood of Jesus Christ and the institution of the sacrament of the priesthood. During the Last Supper, Jesus offers himself as the Passover sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, and teaches that every ordained priest is to follow the same sacrifice in the exact same way. Christ also bids farewell to his followers and prophesies that one of them will betray him and hand him over to the Roman soldiers. Around the world, Bishops and priests come together at their local Cathedrals on Holy Thursday morning to celebrate the institution of the priesthood. During the Mass, the bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism that will be used for Baptism, Confirmation, and Anointing of the sick or dying. At this Mass, the bishop washes the feet of twelve priests to symbolize Christ’s washing of his twelve Apostles, our first bishops and priests. Later that night, after sund...

Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Thursday at a facility for disabled and elderly people. The Pope will wash the feet of 12 people with special needs, at the St. Mary of Providence Center of the Don Gnocchi Foundation, located in the outskirts of Rome. The Pope has made it a point to lead by example when it comes to helping the marginalized, the poor and the needy. It's a scene that's come to life time and time again, including his first visit to Assisi, where he met with ill children and teenagers. Last year, in his first Holy Thursday as Pope, he decided to celebrate Mass at a juvenile jail, washing the feet of prisoners. They included detainees of different nationalities and even religions. He washed the feet of two Muslims, one of them female. Back in Argentina, he was known for celebrating Holy Thursday with the marginalized, in hospitals, prisons and slums. It's something he has adapted to his new home in the Eternal City.

Today is  Holy Thursday , or Maundy Thursday , which solemnly celebrates the institution of the Eucharist as the true body and blood of Jesus Christ and the institution of the sacrament of the priesthood. During the Last Supper, Jesus offers himself as the Passover sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, and teaches that every ordained priest is to follow the same sacrifice in the exact same way. Christ also bids farewell to his followers and prophesies that one of them will betray him and hand him over to the Roman soldiers. Around the world, Bishops and priests come together at their local Cathedrals on Holy Thursday morning to celebrate the institution of the priesthood. During the Mass, the bishop blesses the Oil of Chrism that will be used for Baptism, Confirmation, and Anointing of the sick or dying. At this Mass, the bishop washes the feet of twelve priests to symbolize Christ’s washing of his twelve Apostles, our first bishops and priests. Later that...

March 21, 2013. (Romereports.com) In the first month of his Pontificate,  the Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will celebrate Holy Thursday Mass with prisoners. On the afternoon of March 28th, the Pope will visit Rome´s Casal del Marmo, which is a jail for minors.   It´s actually the same prison, Benedict XVI visited back in March 18th  2007, when he celebrated Mass in the jail´s chapel. Holy Thursday marks the Last Supper. It´s also the moment where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, to teach them about the importance of service and humbleness. In fact, Pope Francis is planning of washing the feet of some of the inmates. As the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio would usually celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in a prison, hospital or with marginalized groups. As Pope, he will continue this tradition. In the first few days of his pontificate, Pope Francis has highlighted the need to serve the poor, adding that true power doesn´t come with money or inf...

Images and video of the Holy Sacrifice set to the Thomas Aquinas hymn "Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium".

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation: Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos: "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34) These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. Easter Triduum Easter or Paschal Triduum is the ancient name given to the three days of the ‘pasch’ or ‘passing over’ of the Lord, beginning on the evening of Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday. This is the "Feast of feasts", the high point of the Church’s liturgical year, when we celebrate the heart of our faith -- the great mystery of salvation when Our Lord Jesus Christ passes through suffering and death to the new life of the Resurrection. The triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death, ...

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation: Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos: "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34) These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. Easter Triduum Easter or Paschal Triduum is the ancient name given to the three days of the ‘pasch’ or ‘passing over’ of the Lord, beginning on the evening of Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday. This is the "Feast of feasts", the high point of the Church’s liturgical year, when we celebrate the heart of our faith -- the great mystery of salvation when Our Lord Jesus Christ passes through suffering and death to the new life of the Resurrection. The triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death...