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Yesterday, in the Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Diocese, we celebrated the Chrism Mass. This is a very special occasion for the priests of the Diocese. During the Mass, we renew our priestly promises. The Chrism, used to anoint the hands of priests at Ordination, was consecrated. Today, Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. We are, as it were, in the Upper Room with Jesus. It is the day on which the Last Supper – the First Eucharist – is celebrated.
As I said in the homily at the Chrism Mass, I ask you to pray for the priests of our Diocese, for the priest shares in the priesthood of Christ Himself, and is called to live a life centred on the Eucharist that he celebrates, with and for those he serves – and, with and for the whole Church. During these last two years of the pandemic – not yet over – we have all benefitted from the ministry of our priests in their prayer, the celebration of the sacraments, their preaching and their pastoral care, especially in the difficult circumstances of lockdown.
As we look forward in hope to rather different times, let us work together – lay faithful and religious, deacons, priests and bishop – in the mission the Lord has given to us. The future will look different, with times that call for new approaches; but all must begin and end with the Eucharist, the Mass, the fount of grace in which we are united with Christ Who enables all we do in His name.
The Gospel this evening is that of the Mandatum, the command that Jesus gave in his example of service, the washing of the feet of the Apostles. Our Mission must be marked by thorough-going service of our brothers and sisters both near and far. It is in this service that we serve the Lord whom we see in them. This service is joyous and transforms the lives of all, for it is the living out of the love the Lord has shown to us – the love that we celebrate in these great days of Holy Week and Easter.
You can watch Bishop Richard's Holy Thursday podcast here.
The Liturgy of this Day is stark and striking. The impact of the silent church, the prayerful listening to St John’s account of the Passion, the veneration of the Cross and the solemn intercessions of this day mark our minds and hearts in a profound way, calling us to stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary and John and to reflect on the Lord’s sufferings and death.
Silence is important on this day – at home as well as in Church – for we must allow ourselves to simply ‘be’ with the Lord in his passion. Do try, on this day, to spend a little time in quiet and reflection at home, reflecting on the person of Jesus who bore our suffering and carried our sorrows; who died because of our sins.
This Good Friday we pray especially for Ukraine. There is a special intercession for the Liturgy on this day and I invite you to join in the occasions of prayer taking place in our parishes. The Lord comes to our broken world and our first response to human suffering, to human cruelty and pain, must always be prayer. There are many ways in which we are assisting our brothers and sisters through material aid. Our solidarity in prayer with all who are living with the horrors of warfare – wherever this may be in the world – is a gift beyond measure.
Click here to watch Bishop Richard's Good Friday podcast.
This is a day of emptiness. The tabernacles of our churches are empty, altars bare, candles gone. We wait and watch with the women who took note of where Jesus was laid. For us, this is also a day of anticipation, especially for those who will be baptised our received into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.
We have the benefit if knowing what happened on that first Easter, but it is important for us to experience through prayer and reflection something of that emptiness, that deep sorrow, felt by the women who waited and by the apostles who hid themselves away in the Upper Room.
As we prepare for the wonder of the Easter Vigil – experienced, I am sure, in a renewed way this year after the quieter celebrations of the last two years – let us find time to reflect in silence on the sealed tomb, experiencing a little of the emptiness that can only be filled by the wonder of the Resurrection.
Watch Bishop Richard's Holy Saturday podcast here.
