Catholic Weddings

It's Holy Thursday!

I know we talked about it a little yesterday, but does anyone have plans to attend mass today?  One of my fondest memories is participating in the washing of the feet the year that I was confirmed.  =)

And because I love this story so, so much:
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper, 
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power 
and that he had come from God and was returning to God, 
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin 
and began to wash the disciples’ feet 
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, 
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him, 
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, 
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him, 
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over; 
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet 
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, 
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, 
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow, 
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
John 13:1-15
Anniversary

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Re: It's Holy Thursday!

  • Holy Thursday and Thanksgiving are my 2 most favorite masses.

    Holy Thursday is usually the most crowded one, and everyone that is there wants to be there. It is my loudest singing mass out of all of them-- so loud they drown out my drums and I can't hear my choir-- which is the whole point. I wrote the music for the psalm we use tonight. 
  • Carrie - that's awesome! I'm not sure whether we are going to Mass tonight or not. I would like to, but I'm truly exhausted - maybe I'll have an energy spurt later!
  • I don't think that we'll end up going to Mass tonight, pretty sure my H has to work.  Come to think of it, I can't really remember EVER going to Holy Thursday mass.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_its-holy-thursday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:a7a1c23c-d53d-4b59-ad6b-b39702dc3b59Post:7ce80543-91dc-4bd5-bfbb-3dd6a298c854">Re: It's Holy Thursday!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Carrie - that's awesome! I'm not sure whether we are going to Mass tonight or not. I would like to, but I'm truly exhausted - maybe I'll have an energy spurt later!
    Posted by Riss91[/QUOTE]

    <div>I am, too, but I'm hoping I can leave work as soon as school gets out so I can take a little nap and make it to mass.  They're having adoration after mass until 11:45, and I've never been to an adoration, so I seriously considered putting in for a sub so I could go and not have to be dragging tomorrow, but I don't think it's in the cards.  I guess I'll go next year since I'm not going back to work right away.</div>
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  • If you've never been to Holy Thursday Mass, I STRONGLY urge you to go!  It's an awesome experience. 

     

  • To clarify, the "adoration" after Holy Thursday should not be exposition. Just reserved in the tabernacle. You also don't have to stay the whole time. However if you've never been to adoration at all, I highly recommend it. I know I'm lucky in St. Louis to have 3 perpetual adoration chapels within 10 minutes of my house. So many 24 hour chapels around here, it's pretty great
  • Carrie, why can't the adoration involve exposition?  I thought exposition was allowed until midnight Good Friday, and then not allowed again until Easter.  Ya learn something new every day!

    On a totally different note, I had a conversation with a friend regarding receiving the Eucharist without confession.  She said that as long as you have the intention of going to confession, you make an act of contrition, and there aren't confession times until after Mass, that you can receive after committing a mortal sin.  I had been taught that that's only the case if there's a serious reason for needing to receive, although admittedly I can't really say what constitutes a serious enough reason besides the threat of death.  Can someone shed some light on this for me?  (In the situation dicussed, the person had plans to go to confession the day after they were going to be receiving communion). 

     

  • Resa, I don't know the specific answer to your question, but I do know that last week we went to Saturday evening mass with MIL and they had so many people in for confession that they eventually had to say, "Okay, just come in after mass" so they could get started.  I would imagine in those cases it's hard to tell someone they can't receive if they made every effort to make their confession...
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  • Keep in mind - YOU DONT HAVE TO GO TO COMMUNION EVERY TIME YOU GO TO MASS!!! It's really not the end of the world... I think if there is *any* doubt about whether you are spiritually prepared, why not abstain?? (I don't know the technical rules. But rather than risk profaning the Eucharist, I would certainly err on the side of caution!)
    Anniversary
  • I'm with you, Lalaith.  Why not just abstain for one Mass, go to confession in the next few days, and then receive next time? 

     

  • I don't think you can ever take communion while in a state of mortal sin, even if you plan to go to confession immediately. You can, however, take communion if you have gone to confession, but haven't finished your penance.

    Catholics are only required to receive communion once a year (around Easter), though you are urged to go as much as possible. If you haven't gone to confession and you have something to confess, you shouldn't receive communion. For your own good.
  • With my work schedule today I am not sure if I am going to make it to mass tonight and I really wanted to go.

  • <span style="font-size:11px;line-height:14px;">[QUOTE]In Response to Re: It's Holy Thursday! : I actually had this issue once.  I committed a mortal sin over the weekend (not this past weekend ... this was a few years ago) and was already signed up to be an EMHC at Mass on Sunday.  So, I received communion and also distributed it and I felt HORRIBLY.  I went to confession that Wednesday and our pastor told me that it would have been a source of scandal if I were to go forward to receive a blessing (in the sanctuary, where everyone sees me)  and then distrubute communion.  He said that since my intention was to go to confession the next possible time, it was okay.   ETA:  I did try to see if someone would serve for me, but no luck.  It's like pulling teeth to get people at Life Teen Mass to come dressed properly to serve Communion.</span>
    Posted by TXKristan[/QUOTE]
    I'm genuinely curious - Would it really have been such a big deal if there had been one less person distributing communion? like, if  you were serving the Cup, people don't actually *have* to receive from the cup, or communion could have just taken a little bit longer if they were short someone. 
    Anniversary
  • I use to rationalize receiving communion because I was a minister (most of the time music). I can only go twice in one day anyway, and I do 4 masses on Sundays. 

    Then I remembered that God saw it that Mary was sinless and pure before she received God in her womb-- who am I to think that its ok for me not to be?

    Regarding exposition, I know its not supposed to happen beginning on Holy thursday (perhaps at the Holy Thursday mass). The tabernacle must be empty at the beginning of Holy Thursday mass.

    Then the Eucharist is supposed to be reserved in a tabernacle outside of the church, if possible (we have a daily mass chapel). It can only be until midnight on Holy Thursday night. Enough hosts should be consecrated for the Good Friday liturgy, and a few more for viaticum emergencies, but after Good Friday, there shouldn't be any "presence" of the Eucharist out. All of the Communion distributed on Easter vigil should be newly consecrated..just like the holy water is newly blessed.
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