VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2004 (VIS) - Today, Holy Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, John Paul II presided at the Chrism Mass, which is celebrated on this day in all the cathedral churches of the world. Concelebrants included the cardinals, bishops and priests who are in Rome for Easter. Following the Pope's homily, there was the renewal of priestly vows and the blessing of the oil used for catechumens, the sick and those being confirmed.
In his homily, the Pope underscored "the deep link that exists between the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood. Christ is the High Priest of the New Covenant. ... If the Mass of the Lord's Supper underlines the mystery of the Eucharist and the giving of the new commandment of love, what we are now celebrating, the Chrism Mass, underlines the gift of the ministerial priesthood."
"Shortly we will renew our vows," said the Holy Father, "giving thanks to God for the gift of our priesthood. We will also repeat the firm promise to be images ever more faithful to Christ, the High Priest. He, the Good Shepherd, calls us to follow His example and to offer, day after day, our lives for the salvation of the flock entrusted to our care."
"How can we not return," exclaimed the Pope, "with our thoughts filled with emotion, to the enthusiasm of that first 'yes', pronounced on ordination day? 'Here I am', we answered the One Who called us to work for is kingdom. ... How truly extraordinary is the 'gift and mystery' that we have received." A priestly vocation, he added, "must be nourished by constant prayer. Christians want to see us above all as 'men of prayer'."
Later today, at 5:30 p.m., John Paul II concelebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper in St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger and Angelo Sodano washed the feet of 12 priests as is customary on Holy Thursday. During the presentation of the gifts, the Holy Father received an offering that will be used for sick children in Rwanda and Burundi.
The Pope emphasized in his homily that Jesus, in washing the feet of the Apostles, performed an act "that normally would be done by a servant, thus wishing to impress on the minds of the Apostles the meaning of what would shortly happen. In fact, the passion and death are the fundamental service of love by which the Son of God freed mankind from sin. "
"The memorial of this, in the fullest sense, is the Eucharist: the Bread and Wine, though the action of the Holy Spirit, become really and truly the Body and Blood of Christ, Who gave Himself as nourishment to man during his life's journey on earth."
"As we fix our eyes on Christ, Who instituted the Eucharist, we become newly aware of the importance of priests in the Church and of their bond with the Eucharistic sacrament. In the Letter I wrote to priests for this holy day I repeated that the sacrament of the altar is gift and mystery, the priesthood is gift and mystery. ... Only a Church in love with the Eucharist will generate, in turn, holy and numerous priestly vocations. It will do so through prayer and a witness to holiness, offered in a special way to the new generations."
JPII-HOLY WEEK/HOLY THURSDAY/... VIS 20040414 (560)
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