Holy Thursday is one of my most favorite liturgies of the year—with the celebration of the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood—the latter being whereby we learn of the gift of Jesus’ priesthood given to us to carry out the sacramental nature that is unique to our church.

It is the only Mass during the whole year where the homily is prescribed by the Church so that every priest throughout the whole world preaches on the priesthood and Eucharistic meal given to us by Christ. These two gifts of Christ are given to the Church so that all may have the spiritual food (Eucharist) to nourish us on our journey towards the Kingdom of God and also to highlight an
example of servant leadership. If the priesthood is carried out properly, the priest while fully human should be an example of servant leadership—imperfectly living out Jesus Christ’s role model of coming to serve the many. I pray that I someday get closer to that end goal.

Amid all of the rituals of Holy Thursday is also the Mandatum: the washing of the feet in the Liturgy. In the revised ritual the washing of the feet takes placed after the Gospel, which narrates the same event at the Last Supper. The men (see editor’s note) who have been chosen are led to chairs prepared for them. Then the priest goes to each man, pours water over each one's feet, and dries them. Meanwhile the choir or congregation sings a number of antiphons from the appropriate Gospel account in St. John. The ceremony is called the mandatum because it was on the occasion of washing His disciples' feet that Christ gave us the new commandment (novum mandatum) to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:4-17). (Etym. Latin mandatum, commission, order.)

Editor’s note: the revised ritual which allows for enculturation that is the inclusion of a particular practice in a given culture when it does not change the essence of the ritual. For example in the Western world where women and young adults make up lay leadership in the Church they may be included in the Mandatum ceremony. However, strictly speaking, in the rituals and sacramental acts of the Church she does not change or alter what Christ did or said in His practices, or used in the institution of the Sacraments; i.e., we use the same wine grapes and wheat products used by Christ for Consecration. We do not consecrate hot chocolate and Oreos simply because it is what people might prefer.

So on Holy Thursday I have traditionally used both men and women in the washing of the feet at Mass. This year, because of our ever-expanding youth population taking on both leadership and amazingly active roles in our parish, I want to highlight their discipleship. In fact, as we might all struggle with “connecting with the original Apostles” because of time and space and cultural
differences, I want to illustrate to the congregation-at-large the importance of “putting a face to a name,” if you will and make it easier for us to recognize the apostles among us and to see that we, too, can become one of the “modern-day apostles” in our Church.

Let’s take a look at just what Jesus Christ asked the original Apostles to do: He called them to be “fishers of men” and asked them to teach the Word of God by spreading the Good News of the Gospels as well as the then forming Traditions of our new faith. Christ also asked them —and sent them—out to heal the sick, draw in the wondering, feed the hungry, care for the lost and the
forgotten as well as the widows and orphans, and to raise the dead to a newness of life. It was a pretty amazing call to discipleship that Jesus gave to these original Twelve. But Christ did not mean for this “call to action”’ to be exclusive to the Twelve. Actually, Christ intended—commanded—that this call to discipleship would be for all ages and in all times and places. Hence the institution of Baptism and the other Sacraments of the Church (a Sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give us grace) so that we may travel more fully the road to a true and complete faith in Christ Jesus. And on Holy Thursday we saw a new breed of apostles who have heard and very generously responded to the call of Christ. From teenagers who teach religious education classes, expanding the faith to a new generation, and making the Good News of the Gospels which embody the idea that God loves us and desires us to be with Him for all eternity, so that the Church will continue the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in our modern world with informed minds. This new breed of apostles also loaded up their cars and vans and headed to Boston where they rolled up their sleeves like Christ did and fed the hungry in shelter after shelter as well as on the Boston Common, sat and talked with the homeless giving them more than just the time of day but rather the dignity they received from God at their creation.

We are not limited in our new apostles to these two groups of young adults. The new apostles who call Saint Catherine of Siena home comprises legions of youth who act as altar servers, the more than 75 who are active members of the senior high youth ministry, there are apostles who answer the call of Christ as Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, members of Pantry Partners; those who act in and through the Men’s and Women’s Club Ministries, the ladies and men who help gather the
residents at McLean Home for Mass each month, to those who pray and knit prayer shawls, catechists in our religious education program and Confirmation program; the choir members who lift our voices in prayer and praise of God, those who feed the masses at shelters in Hartford and so many more—especially the ones who sit in the pews Sunday after Sunday and take the Word they receive and the grace of the Eucharist consumed back home to their families, workplaces and community.

If you want to see modern-day apostles you have plenty of opportunities—from the young ones you saw on Holy Thursday having their feet washed to those sitting next to you in the pews, to the one you see when you look in the mirror. Have you heard His call? Will you answer it? A happy and blessed Easter to all!