Maundy Thursday

Holy Thursday (C) – April 14, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper is the great with the greatness of the Gift – the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, the mysterious presence of Jesus Christ under the forms of consecrated bread and wine transformed into the real Body and Blood of Christ – the Food and Drink of Eternal Life. 

This Thursday is the great greatness of the Gift, which is the sacramental participation in the One Priesthood of the New Covenant by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders – the great dignity and ministry of priests in preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. Especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, making present the Death, Resurrection and Glory of Jesus Christ present for our and the world’s salvation.

Finally, this Thursday is Great with the greatness of the unsurpassed Love that Christ loved us, giving His life for us through His Death on the Cross, and a great illustration of the Commandment of Love that we love as we are loved: “If I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. For I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done for you ”(John 13:14-15).

If we believe that God is Love, then we must also believe that the more we love, the more we are like God, the more we are of God’s. We may ask ourselves, are we capable of such love? It is the Gift of the Eucharist and the Gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us capable: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). “Do you understand what I have done to you?” (John 13:12)

God knows that we are threatened primarily by ourselves. By our own weakness, naivety, ignorance, and sometimes just our own thoughtlessness. That is why, when the fullness of time is accomplished, God decides to come to us personally. He knows that we really need to experience His presence and His love close. We need the visible love of the invisible God. Christianity is no doctrine, no ideology, no philosophy. Christianity is the story of the most extraordinary love of a God who lives, loves and teaches us to love.

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Maundy Thursday – April 9, 2020

Frackville, From the Pastor, PNCC /

In our Gospel reading, the whole idea of hierarchy is turned on its head. Jesus’ washing the feet of His disciples is a symbol of what the whole event of His passion means. It is primarily an act of love, the ultimate giving of Jesus’ self for His disciples and all people. A Jewish slave couldn’t be compelled to wash anyone’s feet. Yet here, the master, freely and on His own initiative, takes a place lower than the most lowly servant in the household. The Gospel tells us that Jesus loved His disciples to the end of His life and also to the furthest extent possible, that is, by giving His life for them. When Peter refuses to allow Jesus wash his feet, Jesus warns him that unless He does, he can have no part with Jesus.

Jesus himself gives the application of His action: “you should wash each other’s feet”. Perhaps the persons whom this most obviously concerns are those in any position of authority. Leadership within the community of disciples should be exercised as humble service, something particularly evident in our Holy Church. The symbolic washing of parishioners’ feet is not just a ritual, but a true expression of the way we live, the relationship between the person performing the action and those who are having their feet washed.

We can all learn from the example of Jesus and work to live it even better. Authority and power are not the same: Jesus is giving us an example of what authority involves, namely the courage to be humble, to be a servant of our brothers and sisters. If we can do this, then we are truly following His example.

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Schedule for Holy Week and Easter

Frackville, PNCC /

HOLY TUESDAY, April 15th

10:00AM – Central Diocese Clergy Conference in Scranton.
4:00PM – Holy Mass of Chrism in St. Stanislaus Cathedral, Scranton, PA.

HOLY WEDNESDAY, April 16th

6:00PM – Bitter Lamentations (2)

HOLY THURSDAY, April 17th

6:00PM – Holy Mass of the Lord’s Supper

GOOD FRIDAY, April 18th – The Lord’s Passion

12:00 (at Noon) – The Liturgy of the Good Friday with adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be held until 7:00PM.
2:00PM – Frackville Lenten Ecumenical Service (Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church).
7:15PM – Stations of the Cross

HOLY SATURDAY, April 19th

3:00PM – The Liturgy of the Blessing of Fire, Water and Paschal Candle. After the Liturgy – blessing of Easter food (baskets)

RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD, April 20th

7:00AM – Easter procession. After Procession – Holy Mass – intention: for All Parishioners.
10:00AM – Easter Sunday Holy Mass.

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