Holy Thursday Homily 2023
There is a long weekend, maraming bacasyon for this holy week, Millions of Catholics in the country share faith in their families. It is a great time for the Church to makes at the end of the Lenten season. Finally, Apat na punga araw tapos ngayon.
Sinisimulan na natin Triduum, tatlong araw na pagdiriwang; three solemn days in the liturgical calendar; ang kapistahan ng Huwebes Santo (tinatawag din na Maundy Huwebes), Biyernes Santo, at ang Easter Vigil-Pasko ng Pagkabuhay.
It is also called Maundy Thursday; Mandy comes from the Latin word Mandatum which means to command, it refers to the new law given by the Lord during supper, “I give to you today, love one another as I have loved you” binigyan ko kayo ng halimbawa at itoy dapat ninoyng tularan. Today Jesus teaches a Love lesson through the example of washing.
(1) unang anibersaryo ng Sacramento ng banal na Eucaristiya (Institution of the Holy Eucharist)
2) anibersaryo ng ministerial priesthood, The Church appoints some ministers to convey God’s forgiveness.
Ang Eukaristiya ay hindi invention ng mga disciples ni Jesus: hindi bago sa history. In the first reading we heard the origin of the Paschal meal, the first Paschal meal that the people of Israel celebrated as they awaited their salvation from slavery.
Kumakain sila sa loob ng bahay ng lilizon, cordero, ang dugo nito, At kukuha sila ng dugo niyan, at ilalagay sa dalawang haligi ng pinto at sa itaas ng pintuan, sa mga bahay. God says Lalampasan ko ang lahat ng bahay na makita kong may pahid na dugo, at walang pinsalang mangyayari sa inyo sa pagpaparusa ko sa buong egipto.
It is a Passover event from death to life. God is passing over in our life offering life removing death.
In the second reading we heard the latest account of the Last Supper which is found in the letter of Paul to the Corinthians he clearly said this paschal meal was practiced by the apostles and early church traditions.
Every time you celebrate the Eucharist, remember we are part of the history of salvation. Since the Israel people celebrated pass over, Since Jesus celebrated the Last Supper, then Paul and peter and all the apostles celebrated the memorial of the Lord of Jesus up to this time. Whenever we celebrate mass, we join with all the billions of people who were ahead of us in the past 2,000 years ago, who will come after us until the Lord comes again,
Meron isang libro called “the eucharistic miracles in the world”; incredible eucharistic healings in the lives of saints and ordinary people. How many are being healed by the Eucharist? Eucharist is also existing in other churches namely the Orthodox church, Anglicans and Lutherans. Pero Catholics are different because for them Eucharist is the source of the Christian life. It is the heart/center of the church. and it is consumed within the holy mass.
Hindi na ito isang ala ala, isang souvenir, isang pakikiisa, (It is a memorial, not a pasalubong, or souvenir). Memorial means participation/sacrifice in death. we do this, in obedience to him, what he said, gawin mo ito pag-alala sa akin. do this in memory of me, kaya wag natin isipin bilang misa kulang o misa lang ng servants. Ang bawat misa ay ang misa ni Jesus o ng simbahan.
May tanong ako para sayio. Ano ang mas mahalaga sa pagdiriwang ng misa? What is important to celebrate the mass?
Can Catholics celebrate mass without priest? No. Other Churches can do kasama ng mga pastors. You can have Siete Palabras, walang pari, liturgy of the word, meron mga lectors. Pero If you want to celebrate the mass, you should have pari.
Therefore, the priest must be male because the priest iconically manifests the liturgical presence and action of Jesus, who was and is a male human being. He is acting in persona Christi. Ang Stola at Tuwalya: which symbolizes our services to God and humanity. Love and service are the two sacraments. The Stole represents the Dignity of the Priest, the Towel stands for the Duty of the Priest. The priest is called upon to unite with the Lord in the Eucharist and the people as their servants.
Ngayong umaga ng 7 am, nag celebrate ang mga pari kay diocese of Novalichese, ang Chrism mass. Bakit? Their Priests are invited to renew their priestly promises, before their own Bishop, the promises they made at their priestly Ordination. I just want to read so that you may know the real identity of the priest.
1. Bishop: Christ our Lord conferred his priesthood…
Every priest is participating directly in the priesthood of Christ. It’s a new understanding of Vatican II. The understanding before Vatican II was that, a priest was participating in the priesthood of the Bishop. In this new understanding, Christ is the source of all the priests and they act in persona Christi. Priest’s identity lies in his (ontological) bond with Christ himself.
A priest may be a fool, useless, but through consecration, he received “a sacramental representation of Christ, High Priest”. All the faithful are participating in the common priesthood through Baptism, while the chosen priests are part of the ministerial priesthood with an indelible sacramental character. The priest has received the indelible seal of the Holy Spirit that he is the minister of Christ "forever and ever" (Jn 14:16-17). This every priest should know that he will never lose the presence and the effective power of the Holy Spirit though they are weak and not exemplary, committed sins.
• Sick priest – Padre Pio, who bore stigmata for many years
• Ugly and Incapable priests – John Maria Vianney won many souls for God.
Do not dishonor or hate the priest because of his external characteristics. Every priest has a story born in the humanity of Jesus.
2. Bishop: Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus?
Priesthood is a journey, it is not a state you reach within a day, every day he should carry on his journey. Journey reserved for Christ. The aim of this journey, to be united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him… willingly and joyfully pledged, Ang Diocesan Pries serves the particular pastoral needs of his parish, such as visiting the sick and spiritually accompanying parishioners through sacraments. Instead, religious priests work in a religious family called a community, guided by a particular charism, doing a variety of ministries, ministries to the elderly, special children and etc following the three vows. Only one end is unity with the Lord. Prayer, the Word of God and the Eucharist are his daily life.
In the life of priests, all the time won’t be the feast moments. There will be moments like “Jesus’ prayer of Gethsemane” where even our Lord had the most human and dramatic part of Jesus’ prayers… “My soul is sorrowful even to death, remain watchful and pray for me (Mk 14:33ff.)” not to gossip against them. The bestone
3. Not seeking any personal gain/personal profit, But moved only by zeal for souls?
Priest is not for himself, but for God and for you. – Said Vianney. A priest is a man of God, he should have a spirit against materialism they do not have a bank balance, at least the religious. because of his identity and his belonging to God and the Church.
• Lorenzo Ruiz, for the young people
• Pedro Calungsod for the catechists,
It would be unfair not to express our gratitude to all those priests who faithfully and generously spend their lives in the service of others. Then the bishop asks the people to pray for their priests. Ask the Lord to bless them with the fullness of his love, to help them be faithful ministers of Christ the High Priest.
Please pray for the priests who think that nobody understands, the missionary priests who renounce their nations, and people and work among the people. Elderly, sick, and abandoned priests… many priests died as martyrs for the sake of faith. Vietnamese martyrs, Korean martyrs...
Holy Thursday Homily 2024
Tapos na ngayon, Apat na punga araw, Sinisimulan na natin Triduum, tatlong araw na pagdiriwang; ang kapistahan ng Huwebes Santo, Biyernes Santo, at ang Easter Vigil-Pasko’ ng Pagkabuhay.
Today also is called as Maundy Thursday; Mandy comes from the Latin word Mandatum which means to command, it refers to the new law given by the Lord during supper, “binigyan ko kayo ng halimbawa at itoy dapat ninoyng tularan”. Today love celebration day, a Love lesson through the example of washing.
Today is the last supper day, day of the Eucharistiya. Ano ang Eucharistiya, hindi na ito isang pasalubong or gift pero it is a memorial. It means participation/sacrifice in death. we do this, in obedience to him, what he said, gawin mo ito pag-alala sa akin, kaya wag natin isipin bilang misa kulang o misa lang ng servants/mass of priest…. Ang bawat misa ay ang misa ni Jesus o ng simbahan.
Every time you participate in the Eucharist, remember we are part of the history of salvation. Since the Israel people celebrated pass over, Since Jesus celebrated the Last Supper, then Paul and Peter and all the apostles celebrated the memorial of the Lord of Jesus up to this time. Whenever we celebrate mass, we join with all the billions of people who were ahead of us in the past 2,000 years ago, who will come after us until the Lord comes again,
Today Jesus tells Eucharist in action, sabi ng ebanghelyo when Jesus had finished watching their feet of his garment again went back to the table, said, “Tinatawag Ninyo akong guro ang ….
yung araw na ito, na ipinagdiriwang natin ang pagtatatag ng eukaristiya, ang ebanghelyo ay hindi pa tungkol sa institusyon ng eukaristiya, hindi po ito “ang take this love, you eat it, hindi po ito yung salita na sinabi ni Hesus sa huling hapunan, kundi ang paghuhu’gas ng paa, dahil malaking reminder sa ating lahat, na huwag limitahan ang yukaristiya sa isang ritwal at dasal na ginagawa po natin /sa tuwing tayo nagmimisa ang banal na yukaristiya ay nagaganap sa dalawang bahagi na ng buhay natin/ first part is prayer, second part is action,
because Right after ang ikalawang yugto ng yukaristiya ay nagaganap sa labas, kapag tayo ay tulad ni Jesus, lumuluhod ang naglilingkod, naghuhugas ng paa, Hindi po, nararamdaman na tayo ay mataas kaysa iba na tayo ay importante pa kaysa iba, (kneels down..)
Dine in or take out: THE STORY is told about a priest who, in giving communion to the faithful, would sometimes encounter communicants who would approach him with open hands and also with open mouths. How did he deal with the confusion? After saying, “The Body of Christ,” he would tell them: “OK. Make up your mind. Dine-in or take-out?”
In fact, the question “Dine-in or take-out?” underlines a very important point about our reception of the Eucharist, and that is, that the Eucharist should be both a dine-in and a take-out experience. We revere the Eucharist (devotional), and we also live the Eucharist in our daily lives (actual). We must integrate the contemplative and active aspect of the Eucharist in our lives. All our actions should lead to the Eucharist, and all our actions must proceed from our encounter and empowerment from the Lord in the Eucharist.
Do you Understand What I have done? I was touched by this gospel word today, “Do you understand?”
after washing the feet of the disciples Jesus said to them Do you understand what I have done to you? It has many meanings to tell us. Lord is asking, Do you really understand ang ginawa ko para sayo… Naintindihan mo na ako ang iyong Panginoon, ngunit lumuhod ako sa iyong harapan, binaba ang iyong sarili ko upang ikaw ay Linisin, upang ikaw ay mahalin, upang iparamdam sayo, kung gaano ka kahalaga sa aking
Do you really understand kung gaano kang importante para sa akin, at na hinubad ang aking sariling karangalang para lang maging parang Alipin sa iyong paa, (Do you really understand how important you are to me, and that stripped my own honor just to be like a Slave at your feet)
ito pong ginagawa ng nanay sa kanyang anak ng maliit, lumuluhod Dahil sa pagmamahal, (this is what the mother does to her little child, kneeling because of love,) Do you understand how important you are, do you understand how humble I am,
We need to pray this during the adoration? Why This feeling na Wala kang kwentang tao feeling na hindi ka mahalaga sa akin bakit yung damdamin at pinabayaan kita o di kaya Bakit yung yung pride mo, (Why This feeling that you are a worthless person feeling that you are not important to me why the feeling and I let you down or maybe Why is it your pride,)
hindi mo kayang ibaba ang sarili mo/ di mo kayang patawarin ang anak mo/ di mo kayang makipagkasundo sa kapitbahay mo, pinakaworst na bagay na ginawa sayinyo, na hindi mo kapatawad.
Please When you go home, don’t wash the ang pa ani your mother, listen to her, ask pardon, say sorry, I love you,
Today pray for priests, this morning, in the Good Shepherd, Novalichese Diocese, all the priests renewed the priestly promises, Yung paglilingkod ay walang retirement, country, community, persons will be changing from time to time, God will give them grace to continue the service.
Pray for priests; new priests, sick priests, priests in mission, priests in loneliness, elderly priests,
Pray for Seminarians
