Pope, on Holy Thursday, reminds priests to be pure

Pope Benedict, starting four days of hectic activity leading up to Easter, said on Thursday priests should recognize the faults in their own lives and seek purity from God.

The Pope made his comments at a "Mass of the Chrism" in St Peter's Basilica during which oils that will be used in Church sacraments were blessed.

Holy Thursday is the day the Church commemorates Christ's founding of the priesthood with his apostles and institution of the mass.

"When we approach the liturgy to act in the person of Christ, we realize how far we are from Him and how much filth exists in our own lives," the Pope said in his homily.

On Thursday night the Pope travels to Rome's Basilica of St. John's in Lateran for a ceremony in which he will wash and kiss the feet of 12 men to commemorate Christ's gesture of humility to his apostles on the night before he died.

On Good Friday, he will hold two services commemorating Christ's death, including a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) procession around the ancient ruins of Rome's Colosseum.

He says an Easter Eve mass on Saturday night and on Sunday will deliver an "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message.

An amphora containing holy oil stands in the foreground of Cardinals attending a Chrism Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI, not seen, inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, on Thursday, April 5, 2007. The Pope blessed a token amount of the oil of cathecumens, the oil of sick and the holy chrism during a solemn ceremony on Holy Thursday. The Holy Thursday ceremony marks the start of the Vatican Easter celebrations. The Holy Thursday ceremony marks the start of the Vatican Easter celebrations. In the foreground are amphoras containing holy oil. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Cardinals, Bishops and priests crowd St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican during the Mass of Chrism, Thursday, April 5, 2007, led by Pope Benedict XVI, white figure sitting below Bernini's baldachin. The Pope blessed a token amount of the oil of cathecumens, the oil of sick and the holy chrism during a solemn ceremony on Holy Thursday. he Holy Thursday ceremony marks the start of the Vatican Easter celebrations. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Pope Benedict XVI blows inside an amphora containing holy oil during a Chrism Mass inside St.Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, on Thursday, April 5, 2007. The Holy Thursday ceremony marks the start of the Vatican Easter celebrations. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

How will your parish be celebrating this evening?

Thursday of the Mysteries

Our Maronite Catholic Church will begin services at 7pm with the Divine Liturgy. It is customary (and this has now been confirmed by our friend in Beirut, Lebanon) to wash the feet of children, instead of adults. There will be 12 chairs assembled in the Sanctuary with Abouna's chair in the middle. The ceremony is done in 4 parts, accompanied by Gospel reading, chant and prayer. One of the older boys will be selected to serve as Peter.

Following liturgy, we will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 1am. During those hours, many people will stop by our small church to adore Christ in the Monstrance and then go to another church. The older Catholics will visit 7 Churches tonight.

The older Catholics will visit 7 Churches tonight. >>

that’s what I will be doing tomorrow night...when you live in or near large cities you have dozens of churches in which to choose.

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