Reading 1 Ex 12:1-8, 11-14

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

R. (cf. 1 Cor 10:16) Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

Reading 2 1 Cor 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 13:34

I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.

Gospel Jn 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

From: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

The Institution of the Passover

[1] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, [2] “This month shall
be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.
[3] Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall
take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;
[4] and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next
to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what
each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. [5] Your lamb shall be with-
out blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats;
[6] and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole as-
sembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening. [7] Then
they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel
of the houses in which they eat them. [8] They shall eat the flesh that night, roa-
sted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. [11] In this manner
you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in
your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. [12] For I will
pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the
land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgments: I am the Lord. [13] The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the hou-
ses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague
shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

[14] “This day shalt be for you a memorial day, and you shalt keep it as a feast
to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for
ever.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

12:1-14 This discourse of the Lord contains a number of rules for celebrating the
Passover and the events commemorated in it; it is a kind of catechetical-liturgi-
cal text which admirably summarizes the profound meaning of that feast.

The Passover probably originated as a shepherds’ feast held in springtime, when
lambs are born and the migration to summer pastures was beginning; a new-born
lamb was sacrificed and its blood used to perform a special rite in petition for the
protection and fertility of the flocks. But once this feast became connected with
the history of the Exodus it acquired a much deeper meaning, as did the rites
attaching to it.

Thus, the “congregation” (v. 3) comprises all the Israelites organized as a reli-
gious community to commemorate the most important event in their history, de-
liverance from bondage.

The victim will be a lamb, without blemish (v. 5) because it is to be offered to God.
Smearing the doorposts and lintel with the blood of the victim (vv 7, 13), an essen-
tial part of the rite, signifies protection from dangers. The Passover is essentially
sacrificial from the very start. The meal (v. 11) is also a necessary part, and the
manner in which it is held is a very appropriate way of showing the urgency im-
posed by circumstances: there is no time to season it (v. 9); no other food is ea-
ten with it, except for the bread and desert herbs (a sign of indigence); the dress
and posture of those taking part (standing, wearing sandals and holding a staff)
how that they are on a journey. In the later liturgical commemoration of the Pass-
over, these things indicate that the Lord is passing among his people.

The rules laid down for the Passover are evocative of very ancient nomadic desert
rites, where there was no priest or temple or altar. When the Israelites had set-
tled in Palestine, the Passover continued to be celebrated at home, always retai-
ning the features of a sacrifice, a family meal and, very especially, a memorial of
the deliverance the Lord brought about on that night.

Our Lord chose the context of the Passover Supper to institute the Eucharist:
“By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover
meal, Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus’ passing
over to his Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipa-
ted in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Pass-
over and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 1340).

12:2. This event is so important that it is going to mark the starting point in the
reckoning of time. In the history of Israel there are two types of calendar, both
based on the moon—one which begins the year in the autumn, after the feast of
Weeks (cf. 23:16; 34:22), and the other beginning it in spring, between March
and April. This second calendar probably held sway for quite a long time, for we
know that the first month, known, as Abib (spring) — cf. 13:4: 23:18; 34:18 —
was called, in the post-exilic period (from the 6th century BC onwards) by the
Babylonian name of Nisan (Neh 2:1; Esther 3:7). Be that as it may, the fact that
this month is called the first month is a way of highlighting the importance of the
event which is going to be commemorated (the Passover).

12:11. Even now it is difficult to work out the etymology of the word “Passover”.

In other Semitic languages it means “joy” or “festive joy” or also “ritual and fes-
tive leap”. In the Bible the same root means “dancing or limping” in an idolatrous
rite (cf. 1 Kings 18:21, 26) and “protecting” (cf. Is 31:5), so it could mean “punish-
ment, lash” and also “salvation, protection”. In the present text the writer is provi-
ding a popular, non-scholarly etymology, and it is taken as meaning that “the
Lord passes through”, slaying Egyptians and sparing the Israelites.

In the New Testament it will be applied to Christ’s passage to the Father by
death and resurrection, and the Church’s “passage” to the eternal Kingdom: “The
Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when
she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection” (”Catechism of the Catho-
lic Church”, 677).

12:14. The formal tone of these words gives an idea of the importance the Pass-
over always had. If the historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) har-
dly mention it, the reason is that they allude only to sacrifices in the temple, and
the Passover was always celebrated in people’s homes. When the temple ceased
to be (6th century BC), the feast acquired more prominence, as can be seen from
the post-exilic biblical texts (cf. Ezra 6:19-22; 2 Chron 30:1-27; 35:1-19) and ex-
trabiblical texts such as the famous “Passover papyrus of Elephantine” (Egypt) of
the 5th century BC. In Jesus’ time a solemn passover sacrifice was celebrated in
the temple and the passover meal was held at home.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The Institution of the Eucharist

[23] For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Je-
sus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, [24] and when He had given
thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body which is for you. Do this in re-
membrance of Me.” [25] In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me.” [26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

23-26. These verses clearly bear witness to the early Christians’ faith in the eu-
charistic mystery. St. Paul is writing around the year 57 — only twenty-seven
years since the institution of the Eucharist—reminding the Corinthians of what
they had been taught some years earlier (c. the year 51). The words “received”
and “delivered” are technical terms used to indicate that a teaching is part of
apostolic Tradition; cf. also 1 Corinthians 15:3. These two passages highlight
the importance of that apostolic Tradition. The words “I received from the Lord”
are a technical expression which means “I received through that Tradition which
goes back to the Lord Himself.”

There are three other New Testament accounts of the institution of the Eucharist
(Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:16-20). This account, which is most
like St. Luke’s, is the earliest of the four.

The text contains the fundamental elements of Christian faith in the mystery of
the Eucharist: 1) the institution of this Sacrament by Jesus Christ and His real
presence in it; 2) the institution of the Christian priesthood; 3) the Eucharist is
the sacrifice of the New Testament (cf. notes on Matthew 26:26-29; Mark
14:22-25; Luke 22:16-20; 1 Corinthians 10:14-22).

“Do this in remembrance of Me”: in instituting the Eucharist, our Lord charged
that it be re-enacted until the end of time (cf. Luke 22:19), thereby instituting the
priesthood. The Council of Trent teaches that Jesus Christ our Lord, at the Last
Supper, “offered His body and blood under the species of bread and wine to God
the Father and He gave His body and blood under the same species to the Apos-
tles to receive, making them priests of the New Testament at that time. [...] He
ordered the Apostles and their successors in the priesthood to offer this Sacra-
ment when He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me”, as the Catholic Church has
always understood and taught” (”De SS. Missae Sacrificio”, Chapter 1; cf. Canon
2). And so, Bl. John Paul II teaches, the Eucharist is “the principal and central
reason-of-being of the Sacrament of the priesthood, which effectively came into
being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist, and together with it” (”Let-
ter To All Bishops”, 24 February 1980).

The word “remembrance” is charged with the meaning of a Hebrew word which
was used to convey the essence of the feast of the Passover — commemoration
of the exodus from Egypt. For the Israelites the Passover rite not only reminded
them of a bygone event: they were conscious of making that event present, revi-
ving it, in order to participate in it, in some way, generation after generation (cf.
Exodus 12:26-27; Deuteronomy 6:20-25). So, when our Lord commands His
Apostles to “do this in remembrance of Me”, it is not a matter of merely recal-
ling His supper but of renewing His own Passover sacrifice of Calvary, which al-
ready, at the Last Supper, was present in an anticipated way.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: John 13:1-15

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

[1] Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had
come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were
in the world, He loved them to the end. [2] And during supper, when the devil
had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him,
[3] Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that
He had come from God and was going to God, [4] rose from supper, laid aside
His garments, and girded Himself with a towel. [5] Then He poured water into
a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel
with which He was girded. [6] He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to Him,
“Lord, do You wash my feet?” [7] Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you
do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” [8] Peter said to Him,
“You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you,
you have no part in Me.” [9] Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only
but also my hands and my head!” [10] Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed
does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are
clean, but not all of you.” [11] For He knew who was to betray Him; that was
why He said, “You are not all clean.

[12] When He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and resumed His
place, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? [13] You call
Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. [14] If then your Lord and
Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15]
For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done for you.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1. Jewish families sacrificed a lamb on the eve of the Passover, in keeping with
God’s command at the time of the exodus from Egypt when God liberated them
from the slavery of Pharaoh (Exodus 12:3-14; Deuteronomy 16:1-8). This libera-
tion prefigured that which Jesus Christ would bring about—the redemption of men
from the slavery of sin by means of His sacrifice on the cross (cf. 1:29). This is
why the celebration of the Jewish Passover was the ideal framework for the
institution of the new Christian Passover.

Jesus knew everything that was going to happen; He knew His death and resur-
rection were imminent (cf. 18:4); this is why His words acquire a special tone of
intimacy and love towards those whom He is leaving behind in the world. Surroun-
ded by those whom He has chosen and who have believed in Him, He gives them
His final teachings and institutes the Eucharist, the source and center of the life
of the Church. “He Himself wished to give that encounter such a fullness of mea-
ning, such a richness of memories, such a moving image of words and thoughts,
such a newness of acts and precepts, that we can never exhaust our reflection
and exploration of it. It was a testamentary supper, infinitely affectionate and im-
mensely sad, and at the same time a mysterious revelation of divine promises,
of supreme visions. Death was imminent, with silent omens of betrayal, of aban-
donment, of immolation; the conversation dies down but Jesus continues to
speak in words that are new and beautifully reflective, in almost supreme intima-
cy, almost hovering between life and death” (Paul VI, “Homily on Holy Thursday”,
27 March 1975).

What Christ did for His own may be summed up in this sentence: “He loved them
to the end.” It shows the intensity of His love—which brings Him even to give up
His life (cf. John 15:13); but this love does not stop with His death, for Christ lives
on and after His resurrection He continues loving us infinitely: “It was not only
thus far that He loved us, who always and forever loves us. Far be it from us to
imagine that He made death the end of His loving, who did not make death the
end of His living” (St. Augustine, “In Ioann. Evang.”, 55, 2).

2. The Gospel shows us the presence and activity of the devil running right
through Jesus’ life (cf. Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 22:3; John 8:44; 12:31; etc.). Sa-
tan is the enemy (Matthew 13:39), the evil one (1 John 2:13). St. Thomas Aqui-
nas (cf. “Commentary on St. John, in loc.”) points out that, in this passage, on
the one hand, we clearly see the malice of Judas, who fails to respond to this
demonstration of love, and on the other hand great emphasis is laid on the good-
ness of Christ, which reaches out beyond Judas’ malice by washing his feet al-
so and by treating him as a friend right up to the moment when he betrays Him
(Luke 22:48).

3-6. Aware that He is the Son of God, Jesus voluntarily humbles Himself to the
point of performing a service appropriate to household servants. This passage
recalls the Christological hymn in St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: “Christ
Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God
a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant...” (Phi-
lippians 2:6-7).

Christ had said that He came to the world not to be served but to serve (Mark
10:45). In this scene He teaches us the same thing, through specific example,
thereby exhorting us to serve each other in all humility and simplicity (cf. Gala-
tians 6:2; Philippians 2:3). “Once again He preaches by example, by His deeds.
In the presence of His disciples, who are arguing out of pride and vanity, Jesus
bows down and gladly carries out the task of a servant.[...] This tactfulness of
our Lord moves me deeply. He does not say: ‘If I do this, how much more ought
you to do?’ He puts Himself at their level, and He lovingly chides those men for
their lack of generosity.

“As He did with the first twelve, so also, with us, our Lord can and does whisper
in our ear, time and again: ‘exemplum dedi vobis’ (John 13:15), I have given you
an example of humility. I have become a slave, so that you too may learn to
serve all men with a meek and humble heart” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”,
103).

Peter understands particularly well how thoroughly our Lord has humbled Him-
self, and he protests, in the same kind of way as he did on other occasions,
that he will not hear of Christ suffering (cf. Matthew 8:32 and par.). St. Augustine
comments: “Who would not shrink back in dismay from having his feet washed
by the Son of God....You? Me? Words to be pondered on rather than spoken
about, lest words fail to express their true meaning” (St. Augustine, “In Ioann.
Evang.”, 56,1).

7-14. Our Lord’s gesture had a deeper significance than St. Peter was able to
grasp at this point; nor could he have suspected that God planned to save men
through the sacrificing of Christ (cf. Matthew 16:22 ff). After the Resurrection the
Apostles understood the mystery of this service rendered by the Redeemer: by
washing their feet, Jesus was stating in a simple and symbolic way that He had
not come “to be served but to serve”. His service, as He already told them, con-
sists in giving “His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

Our Lord tells the Apostles that they are now clean, for they have accepted His
words and have followed Him (cf. 15:3)—all but Judas, who plans to betray Him.
St. John Chrysostom comments as follows: “You are already clean because of
the word that I have spoken to you. That is: You are clean only to that extent.
You have already received the Light; you have already got rid of the Jewish error.
The Prophet asserted: ‘Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the
evil from your souls’ (Isaiah 1:16).... Therefore, since they had rooted evil from
their souls and were following Him with complete sincerity, He declared, in ac-
cordance with the Prophet’s words: ‘He who has bathed is clean all over’” (St.
John Chrysostom, “Hom. on St. John”, 70, 3).

15-17. Jesus’ whole life was an example of service towards men, fulfilling His
Father’s will to the point of dying on the Cross. Here our Lord promises us that
if we imitate Him, our Teacher, in disinterested service (which always implies sa-
crifice), we will find true happiness which no one can wrest from us (cf. 16:22; 17:
13). “’I have given you an example’, He tells His disciples after washing their feet,
on the night of the Last Supper. Let us reject from our hearts any pride, any am-
bition, any desire to dominate; and peace and joy will reign around us and within
us, as a consequence of our personal sacrifice” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Pas-
sing By”, 94).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

Here are the readings for the morning Chrism Mass:

First reading
Isaiah 61:1-3,6,8-9 ©

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for the Lord has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,

to bind up hearts that are broken;

to proclaim liberty to captives,

freedom to those in prison;

to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord,

a day of vengeance for our God,

to comfort all those who mourn and to give them

for ashes a garland;

for mourning robe the oil of gladness,

for despondency, praise.

But you, you will be named ‘priests of the Lord’,

they will call you ‘ministers of our God.’

I reward them faithfully

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their race will be famous throughout the nations,

their descendants throughout the peoples.

All who see them will admit

that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 88:21-22,25,27 ©

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I have found David my servant

and with my holy oil anointed him.

My hand shall always be with him

and my arm shall make him strong.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

My truth and my love shall be with him;

by my name his might shall be exalted.

He will say to me: ‘You are my father,

my God, the rock who saves me.’

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

Second reading
Apocalypse 1:5-8 ©

Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

Gospel Acclamation	Is61:1(Lk4:18)

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel	Luke 4:16-21 ©

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for he has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives

and to the blind new sight,

to set the downtrodden free,

to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’

Here are the readings for the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper:

First reading
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14 ©

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:

‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it like this: with a girdle round your waist, sandals on your feet, a staff in your hand. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt, I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 115:12-13,15-18 ©

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

How can I repay the Lord

for his goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

O precious in the eyes of the Lord

is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;

you have loosened my bonds.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;

I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfil

before all his people.

The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

Second reading
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ©

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

Gospel Acclamation	Jn13:34

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel	John 13:1-15 ©

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’

When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light (Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

Or =

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

(Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden (Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:39-46) [Spiritual fruit - God's will be done]
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15, John 19:1) [Spiritual fruit - Mortification of the senses]
3. The Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2) [Spiritual fruit - Reign of Christ in our heart]
4. The Carrying of the Cross (Matthew 27:31-32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32, John 19:17) [Spiritual fruit - Patient bearing of trials]
5. The Crucifixion (Matthew 27:33-56, Mark 15:22-39, Luke 23:33-49, John 19:17-37) [Spiritual fruit - Pardoning of Injuries]

March Devotion: Saint Joseph

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Due to the solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19, this month is devoted to this great saint, the foster father of Christ. "It greatly behooves Christians, while honoring the Virgin Mother of God, constantly to invoke with deep piety and confidence her most chaste spouse, Saint Joseph. We have a well grounded conviction that such is the special desire of the Blessed Virgin herself." --Pope Leo XIII

FOR OUR WORK
Glorious Saint Joseph, pattern of all who are devoted to toil, obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance, in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to toil conscientiously, putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations; to labor with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop, by my labor, the gifts I have received from Almighty God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of my empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of thee, 0 Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.

FOR THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT JOSEPH
O Joseph, virgin-father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray every day for us to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving dutifully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

St. Joseph
St. Joseph was an ordinary manual laborer although descended from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, "Foster-father of Jesus." About him Sacred Scripture has little more to say than that he was a just man-an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his high trust of protecting and guarding God's greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary.

The darkest hours of his life may well have been those when he first learned of Mary's pregnancy; but precisely in this time of trial Joseph showed himself great. His suffering, which likewise formed a part of the work of the redemption, was not without great providential import: Joseph was to be, for all times, the trustworthy witness of the Messiah's virgin birth. After this, he modestly retires into the background of holy Scripture.

Of St. Joseph's death the Bible tells us nothing. There are indications, however, that he died before the beginning of Christ's public life. His was the most beautiful death that one could have, in the arms of Jesus and Mary. Humbly and unknown, he passed his years at Nazareth, silent and almost forgotten he remained in the background through centuries of Church history. Only in more recent times has he been accorded greater honor. Liturgical veneration of St. Joseph began in the fifteenth century, fostered by Sts. Brigid of Sweden and Bernadine of Siena. St. Teresa, too, did much to further his cult.

At present there are two major feasts in his honor. On March 19 our veneration is directed to him personally and to his part in the work of redemption, while on May 1 we honor him as the patron of workmen throughout the world and as our guide in the difficult matter of establishing equitable norms regarding obligations and rights in the social order.

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.

St. Joseph is invoked as patron for many causes. He is the patron of the Universal Church. He is the patron of the dying because Jesus and Mary were at his death-bed. He is also the patron of fathers, of carpenters, and of social justice. Many religious orders and communities are placed under his patronage.

Patron: Against doubt; against hesitation; Americas; Austria; Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; California; Belgium; Bohemia; bursars; cabinetmakers; Canada; Carinthia; carpenters; China; Church; confectioners; craftsmen; Croatian people (in 1687 by decree of the Croatian parliament) dying people; emigrants; engineers; expectant mothers; families; fathers; Florence, Italy; happy death; holy death; house hunters; immigrants; interior souls; Korea; laborers; Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky; Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire; Mexico; Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee; New France; New World; Oblates of Saint Joseph; people in doubt; people who fight Communism; Peru; pioneers; pregnant women; protection of the Church; Diocese of San Jose, California; diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; social justice; Styria, Austria; travelers; Turin Italy; Tyrol Austria; unborn children Universal Church; Vatican II; Viet Nam; Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston West Virginia; wheelwrights; workers; working people.

Symbols: Bible; branch; capenter's square; carpenter's tools; chalice; cross; hand tools; infant Jesus; ladder; lamb; lily; monstrance; old man holding a lily and a carpenter's tool such as a square; old man holding the infant Jesus; plane; rod.

Prayer to St. Joseph

Pope Pius X composed this prayer to St. Joseph, patron of working people, that expresses concisely the Christian attitude toward labor. It summarizes also for us the lessons of the Holy Family's work at Nazareth.

Glorious St. Joseph, model of all who devote their lives to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in the spirit of penance in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to work conscientiously, setting devotion to duty in preference to my own whims; to work with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop by my labor the gifts I have received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents wasted, of good omitted, and of vain complacency in success, which is so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of you, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death, Amen.

Litany of Saint Joseph
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Joseph, pray for us.
Illustrious Son of David, pray for us.
Light of the Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-Father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Faithful Protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most courageous, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of working men, pray for us.
Ornament of the domestic life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of the family, pray for us.
Consoler of the miserable, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of the Holy Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
V. He hath made him master of His house.
R. And ruler of all His possessions.

Let us pray.
O God, who in Thy ineffable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may have him for our intercessor in Heaven, whom on earth we venerate as out most holy Protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Was St. Joseph a tzadik?
St. Joseph: Patron saint of three Popes [Catholic Caucus]
St. Joseph and the Staircase
St. Joseph, Foster Father, Novena [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Patron of a “Happy Death” A Special Role for St. Joseph [Catholic/Orhtodox Caucus]
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph
Catholic Group Blasts Pelosi For Invoking St. Joseph on Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill
THE SEVEN SORROWS AND SEVEN JOYS OF ST. JOSEPH
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
Season of Announcement - Revelation to Joseph

In hard times, don't forget about the humble carpenter Joseph
Saint Joseph: Complete submission to the will of God (Pope Benedict XVI) (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Joseph, Patron of a Peaceful Death [Catholic Caucus]
Octave: St. Joseph, A 'Man’s Man', Calling Men to Jesus
St. Teresa de Avila's Devotion to St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Men's National Day of Prayer, MARCH 15, 2008, The Solemnity of St. Joseph (Catholic Caucus)
The Role and Responsibility of Fatherhood - St. Joseph as Model
St. Joseph - Foster Father of Jesus
Some divine intervention in real estate-[Bury St. Joseph Statues in Ground]

Many Turn To Higher Power For Home Sales
St. Joseph the Worker, Memorial, May 1
Catholic Devotions: St. Joseph the Worker
Nothing Will Be Denied Him (St. Joseph)
The Heart of a Father [St. Joseph]
St. Joseph's DAY
Quemadmodum Deus - Decree Under Blessed Pius IX, Making St. Joseph Patron of the Church
Father & Child (Preaching on St. Joseph)
March 19 - Feast of St. Joseph - Husband of Mary - Intercessor of civil leaders
St. Joseph's Spirit of Silence

St. Joseph's Humility (By St. Francis de Sales)
St. Joseph [Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary], Solemnity, March 19
St Joseph’s Paternal Love
The Heart of St. Joseph
MORE THAN PATRON OF HOMES, IT'S TIME FOR ST. JOSEPH TO GAIN HIGHEST OF RECOGNITION [Fatherhood]
The Importance of Devotion to St. Joseph
St. Francis de Sales on St. Joseph (Some Excerpts for St. Joseph's Day 2004)
St. Joseph: REDEMPTORIS CUSTOS (Guardian Of The Redeemer)
(Saint) Joseph the Patriarch: A Reflection on the Solemnity of St. Joseph
How I Rediscovered a "Neglected" Saint: Work of Art Inspires Young Man to Rediscover St. Joseph

Novena to Saint Joseph

O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O Saint Joseph, assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers.

O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath, Amen.

O Saint Joseph, hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. O Saint Joseph, pray for me. (mention your intention)

St. Joseph Novena

O good father Joseph! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows and joys, to obtain for me what I ask.

(Here name your petition).

Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers, everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Be near to me in my last moments, that I may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be)

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March 24, 2016

Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper

Reading 1 Ex 12:1-8, 11-14

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

Reading 2 1 Cor 11:23-26

Verse Before the Gospel Jn 13:34

Gospel Jn 13:1-15

Readings at Mass