Holy Thursday

Jesus washing the apostles' feet

Holy Thursday is a day dedicated to the Eucharist and the Priesthood. In the morning the Bishop celebrates Mass in the Cathedral with all the priests of the Diocese as he consecrates the oils to be used for the administration of sacraments in parish churches. I was present this morning with another 300 priests in the magnificent Cathedral seen at the end of this post. The evening is especially solemn as all the churches, including small chapels decorate their altar of repose with flowers and candles, ready to receive the Blessed Sacrament after a short procession. During the evening Mass, 12 men are chosen to have their feet washed, and thanks to Pope Francis, women are also chosen nowadays. They also go home with a large loaf of bread in the shape of a donut, sprinkled with almonds and sesame seeds, a tradition in many Maltese parishes. After the Mass is over, people start visiting the churches and chapels, traditionally 7 of them and recite various prayers in each church, walking from one to another. Since there are many churches in Malta, the walking distance is very minimal and all 7 visits are done usually within an hour or two. This tradition was started by St Philip Neri in Rome, where he used to visit the 7 main basilicas in Rome with his students. These visits usually continue on Friday morning until noon. After the evening Mass, all the altars are stripped of everything, flowers, altar-cloths, candles, etc.

St John's Cathedral in Valletta, where the Chrism Mass was held today.