Holy Thursday

On Thursday of Holy Week Christians remember the meal that Jesus arranged for his disciples before his arrest. According to one tradition in the New Testament (that in Matthew, Mark and Luke) the meal was a Passover meal (Matthew 26:20-30, Mark 14:17-26, Luke 22:14-38). In the course of the meal, Jesus took bread and wine, blessed them and gave them to his disciples saying that the bread was his body and the wine his blood. "While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many" (Mark 14). Thus Jesus' disciples participate in his life and especially in the hour of his obedience to the will of his Father. Christians celebrate the meal of bread and wine in memory of Jesus, as he commanded them to do.

In the Catholic Church on Holy Thursday, the priest washes the feet of a number of the faithful as Jesus did at the Last Supper (John 13:1-11). Thus Jesus gave a sign to his disciples with regard to how they should serve their brothers and sisters. Sometimes, twelve members of the community are chosen, representing the twelve disciples.

After the prayer service, many of the faithful remain awake during the night to pray, just as Jesus commanded his disciples to do in Gethsemane. On this night Jesus prayed: "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." (Mark 14:36).