Holy Thursday celebrates two sacraments of the Catholic Church, Holy Orders and The Most Holy Eucharist. Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated the morning of Holy Thursday. At this Mass, the three oils that are used in service of the Liturgy, the Oil of Catechumens (for those preparing for Holy Baptism), The Oil of the Sick (for those who are seriously ill, injured or dying), and the Oil of Chrism (consecrated rather then bless and used for Holy Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing a newly ordained priest's hands and anointing a newly ordained bishop as well as anointing the altar and church at their consecration)are blessed/consecrated by the bishop.
Then the priests of the diocese renew their priestly promises to serve as ordained priests.
On Holy Thursday, the night before our Savior died, he commissioned the apostles, the first "high priests" of the Church (bishops) to act in the "Person of Christ" to remember the Lord's Passion on Good Friday through the Sacrificial Meal of Holy Thursday. Implicit in this commission is "ordination" if you will, no matter how implicit it is.
The priest therefore acts as Christ especially at the consecration of the elements of bread and wine during Mass. But also, in a sacramental way, the male priest shows forth Jesus Christ who is the Bridegroom of the Church, with the Church as His holy and spotless bride. The Most Holy Eucharist with Christ sacramentally present in the Priest shows forth the wedding banquet of the Lamb made explicit in the Book of Revelation.
I think most people who understand the "sacramental principle" of the Catholic Church realize that the elements used in the sacraments must point to what is hidden or veiled in a credible way.
For example,a woman cannot be a sacramental sign in a credible way of the masculinity of Christ the Bridegroom which is shown forth in a sacramental way in Holy Orders.
The same is true for the Most Holy Eucharist. Pizza and beer while resembling food and drink do not capture the sacramental essence of Bread and Wine which point to Christ Who is the Bread of Life, Whose sacrifice on the Cross pours out His blood to save mankind. You might co-op the sacrament of the Mass by using pizza and beer, but only to its diminishment sacramentally.
The same is true for Holy Baptism, water, not milk or sand or coke or anything else has the same sacramental qualities that point to Christ, the living Water who rescues us from the waters of turbulence and death through our baptism.
Gasoline is not a good substitute for oil for any of the sacramental oils, it doesn't have the same sacramental characteristics that point to Jesus, healing balm, strengthening ointment, penetrating chrism.
So at St. Joseph Church we select only 12 men to have their feet washed, symbolic of the 12 apostles, the first "high priests" of the Church who point to Jesus Christ, "The High Priest". How can this decision which follows the rubrics of the Roman Missal be construed as "controversial" by Catholics who should know better?
We also realize that this foot washing which is optional is only symbolic of what Christ did prior to celebrating the Last Supper. He was teaching these "New Testament and therefore Christian priests" that unlike the priesthood of the Jews or even of the pagans of that region, their priesthood was not to be merely cultic or temple oriented but one of service to the "unclean." That would have been unheard of for the caste system of the priesthood of the Jewish Temple. Remember the Jewish priest that refused to help the man on the side of the road. He didn't help him out of fear of becoming "unclean" himself for doing so. His duty was merely cultic, not one of service. Jesus teaches implicitly and explicitly that it cannot be that way for the Catholic or Christian deacon, priest or bishop.
In many Catholic Churches tonight, everyone will wash or have their foot washed by someone. This sort of liturgical literalism which came in vogue in the Church in the 1970's is precisely that literalism carried to an extreme. It does not capture the essence of Holy Thursday one bit in the Catholic understanding of what Holy Thursday is. If you want a gimmick to capture the priesthood of the laity then wash feet on Easter Sunday rather than sprinkle them with Holy Water!
Holy Thursday is about the ordained priesthood and the Most Holy Eucharist.
The Great Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday is about the Baptized, Confirmed and Holy Eucharist sharing Catholic people. This is the day of the laity if you will. It is from them, a priestly people, that the cultic or sacramental priests will emerge and be called to show forth the masculinity of Christ who saves us on many different levels. Let's keep our days straight. Without ministerial, ordained priests there would be no Eucharist and there would be no Catholic Church.
15 comments:
Great post, Father. Every year around this time I read horror stories on Catholic internet forums from people at various parishes around the country regarding their priests' refusal to obey the rubrics for these Sacred Triduum Liturgies. Thank God we do not have that problem at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Macon!
Why just let everyone who worries about this run through the sprinklers after mass? (I don't mean the aspergillum. I mean the ones on the lawn.)
rcg
Well said Father.
Father, I can think of at least 10 dioceses where making a statement like this would get you in hot water with the bishop and the various Professional Catholics in the chancery. I'm glad you can speak the truth here, and happier still that we have a priest who WILL speak the truth.
There was a very good article in the latest Homiletic and Pastoral Review about the washing of the feet of the apostles as the institution of Penance. It is worth a few minutes to read.
When I went to the Holy Thursday mass here in TX, during the washing of the feet, I was surprised to see about 4 women in there having their feet washed. Are they allowed to do that? Is there a rule or guidelines regarding this matter?
Lovel
The rubrics clearly state that it should be 12 men, but the practice in the USA is a mix of men and women which changes the symbolism of what Christ actually did at the Last Supper.
In my parish, the pastor--a venerable monsignor whose word is law in any event--avoids complaint with a notice in advance asking for 12 men volunteering to have their feet washed on Holy Thursday, and 14 women to read at Stations of the Cross on Good Friday.
We washed nearly every foot on Montgomery County, Ohio. The admonition is to be as Christ to each other so we do this sort of round robin affair where we take turns washing each other's feet.
rcg
"mix of men and women which changes the symbolism of what Christ actually did at the Last Supper."
I'm not so sure about that. I think Jesus was trying to teach His disciples about the supremacy of humility.
Perhaps the rubrics should suggest washing the feet of teens by their parents.
I think we often miss His message. What is one to think about the driving from the Temple those who were actually there facilitating the ability of people to practice their faith? (i.e. people had to have the "right" money, and needed animals to sacrifice)
Or how about changing the water into wine? Water that was used in ritual washing and purification.
So, Dan, what was His message?
Oh, and parents certainly do not need to be any more submissive to their teens than they already are. They need humility, but not that kind...
His message was the supremacy of humility. One may also take from His actions a lesson that our "eyes" often deceive us. That is, the most holy, sacred, saintly, etc., is often overlooked, if not scorned, by others.
Thanks, Dan. I agree. I wasn't clear from your first post about the Temple.
I always interpreted the message that Jesus was sending as one of 'servant leadership' and that there is no job too menial for even the greatest of men, a real blow to pride at all levels of society. Like Dan said, basically.
Now I also believe that He was also speaking to His first priests/bishops specifically. Therefore, the rubrics are right and should be followed out of obedience and respect for Jesus Himself. Forgetting this part is what leads to everyone washing everyone else's feet and/or women getting their feet washed.
Those who engage in such activities have only half an understanding.
How about the change in symbolism by having altar girls and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, of either sex, but especially women? Regadrding EM's, the emphasis should be on the "Extra" as in superfluous.
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