Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before He suffered, did institute the Sacrament of His Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of Him who is these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal, the same Thy son Jesus Christ our Lord; who now liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

(Source 1979 BCP p. 169).

My Two Cents

On Holy Thursday the Holy Father went to a prison for juveniles in Rome and washed and kissed the feet of 12 inmates as part of a Mass.  The 12 included non-Christians and girls.  This has apparently started a firestorm among Catholic traditionalists because it violates the rubric for the Holy Thursday Mass which specifies that 12 MEN should have their feet washed by the priest.

(For whatever it's worth my heretical diocese has apparently disregarded this rule with the permission of the Bishop every Holy Thursday since I converted to Catholicism 8 years ago.  Unfortunately here in the rural Bible Belt there's no SSPX parish to defect to so I guess I'll have to go back to First Baptist Church. Of course, for years the owner of a local restaurant has diligently tried to convince me to join his Greek Orthodox Parish in a neighboring city 40 miles away so I guess that's always an option.)

I guess I'm a Bad Catholic for a reason: it seems to this old former Southern Baptist that Jesus violated a lot of religious rules himself for which he was greatly condemned by a lot of really religious people.   Despite the liturgical rules which may have been broken, this may have been the first time that anybody has told or shown these young people that God loves them and that they are entitled to some respect just by virtue of being a human being made in the image of God.  I seem to remember that another pastor who broke some rubrics about Sabbath observance said "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  That's my two cents.  Read more here.

Pope Francis & the Imitation of Christ

Pope Francis celebrated Mass at a Juvenile Detention Facility and Rome and washed the feet of inmates. Full story from USA Today.

Holy Thursday

"Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos, dicit Domini"

(A new commandment I have given you: Love one another as I love you.)