HOLY HOUR GUIDE
FOR HOLY THURSDAY

INTRODUCTORY RITE

When the people are gathered, an appropriate Eucharistic song is sung.

Presider:

 In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

R. Amen.

Presider:

Blessed be God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who, in his plan of salvation, to fulfill the promise made of old, chose Mary to be the Mother of his Son, the incarnate Word.

R. Blessed be God forever.

Presider:

Blessed be Jesus Christ, the begotten Son of the Father, he whom the whole world cannot contain enclosed himself as a child within the womb of Mary.

R. Blessed be God forever.

Presider:

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who enriched Mary with abundant gifts and opened her heart to receive the saving Word.

R. Blessed be God forever.

Presider:

My dear brothers and sisters, this evening is filled with the power and love of God. There can be no greater truth and power than the power which was shown to us in Jesus Christ who offered his life for us and is now offered to us in the great sacrament of the Eucharist. “Having loved his own, he loved them to the end.” (Jn 13:1) Let us keep this vigil together with our Blessed Mother to help us enter into the mystery of God’s love that we may understand, and love it even more.

 Pause for silent prayer and adoration.

OPENING PRAYER

 Presider:

Let us pray.

Lord our God, you sent your Son from heaven into the womb of the Blessed Virgin to be your saving Word and our Bread of Life. Grant that like Mary we may welcome Christ by treasuring his words in our hearts and celebrating with deep faith the mysteries of our redemption. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 R. Amen.

THE WORD OF GOD

All sit for the reading.

READING I
Jn 13:1-17

Now he showed how perfect was his love

+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John         

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus realized that the hour had come
for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had loved his own in this world, and would show his love for them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to hand Jesus over; and so, during the supper, Jesus — fully aware that he had come from God and was going to God, the Father who had handed everything over to him — rose from the meal and took off his cloak. He picked up a towel and tied it around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his dis­ciples’ feet and dry them with the towel he had around him. Thus he came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You may not realize now what I am doing, but later you will under­stand.” Peter replied, “You shall never wash my feet!” “If I do not wash you,” Jesus answered, “you will have no share in my heritage.” “Lord,” Simon Peter said to him, “then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus told him, “The man who has bathed has no need to wash [except for his feet]; he is entirely cleansed, just as you are; though not all.” (The reason he said, “Not all are washed clean,” was that he knew his betrayer.)

After he had washed their feet, he put his cloak back on and reclined at table once more. He said to them:

"Do you understand what I just did for you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and fittingly enough, for that is what I am. But if I washed your feet­ – I who am Teacher and Lord­ – then you must wash each other’s feet. What I just did was to give you an example: as I have done, so you must do. “I solemnly assure you, no slave is greater than his master; no messenger outranks the one who sent him. Once you know all these things, blest will you be if you put them into prac­tice.

The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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