On Great and Holy Thursday, the Church commemorates the Last Supper – or the Mystical Supper – the great Gift of Christ our God to mankind. It was at the Last Supper, in this Evening Mystery, that Christ gave us His Holy Body and Precious Blood, and He promised that He will be with us at all times and that His love for us would never change.
As we listen to the Gospel account, Judas is put before our eyes and our minds are focused on his betrayal of our Lord. We must ask ourselves: how often do we betray our Lord, those of us who have sat at His table and partook of His Sacred Body and Precious Blood? And then, as we witness our Lord washing the feet of His apostles, His love for us becomes strikingly evident.
On Holy Thursday morning, the Divine Liturgy will be served at 10 a.m.
On Holy Thursday evening, the Matins of Great and Holy Friday with the Twelve Passion Gospels will begin at 6 p.m.
The Gospels of our Lord’s Passion will be proclaimed. At the Fifth Gospel, when the Passion narrative concerning Christ’s journey to Calvary is reached, the Church is darkened and the priest carries the Cross through the Church and mounts it on the platform that represents Golgotha. Now in the center of the Church, stands GOLGOTHA. And now there is SILENCE – and this silence pervades Great and Holy Friday capturing and stilling our hearts and minds.