Easter Triduum - Holy Thursday at John XXIII Catholic Church

Last week I attended Easter Triduum services at John XXIII Catholic Church in the Northeast Heights of Albuquerque. John XXIII Catholic Community was founded by Father Arkad Biczak in 1978 when the Northeast Heights was mostly sage and the main thoroughfare, Tramway, was a dirt road. The Church's original home was the gymnasium at the nearby Eldorado High School when it served the burgeoning Northeast Heights population.
 As the Northeast Heights population boomed, the current church was built at its location off Manitoba and Tramway Ridge. The Church is truly a Vatican II Catholic community, encouraging lay participation in the sacred liturgies as well as in all of its Christian ministries, pastoral council and governing committees. Its constitution states that it is a Vatican II concept of Christian community and mission. The church was named John XXIII in honor of the Pope who called for and opened the Second Vatican Council.
The crowning architectural feature of John XXIII Catholic Church is the blue dome constructed of laminated glued timbers  and supported by steel trusses. The 60 foot glulam dome rises 38 feet and weighs some 30 tons. It provides the church with most of its natural light, the remainder coming from the tall stained glass windows on either side. The windows depict some of the famous landscapes of New Mexico: Jemez Mountains, Truchas Peaks, the Brazos Canyon, Nambe falls and the Southern New Mexico dessert. In deference to the Native American cultures of the Southwest,  a chalice and water pitcher sit on a Navajo blanket in one of the scenes.

Holy Thursday Vigil is the first sacred ceremony of the Easter Tridium. It is the day on which Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, 4 days after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemanee, setting the stage for His crucifixion on Good Friday.
At John XXIII, Father Ark and 12 male parishioners  wearing the garments of Christ's time, sat at a table facing the congregation in the Church and reenacted both the Passover meal and the Last Supper, connecting the Old Testament Covenant to the New Testament Covenant. For Catholics, the Last Supper commemorates three pillars of the Catholic faith: Holy Communion, the Mass and the priesthood. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ. In telling His disciples to "Do this in remembrance of Me."', Catholics believe that He Instituted the sacred Mass and made His apostles the first priests.  During the Last Supper, Christ also washed the feet of His apostles and said to them, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I loved you, that you love one another."
During the Holy Thursday ritual, Father Ark recited these words of Christ and washed the feet of his designated apostles, who in turn went out into he congregation to wash the feet of church attendees, symbolizing Christ's message of service and humility.. After the washing of the feet, the Mass of the Lord's Supper was celebrated and ended when the Eucharist was carried in procession to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel where it was to be kept overnight until its distribution during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. At the conclusion of the Mass, the faithful were invited to continue adoration of the Blessed Sacrament through the night, just as Christ's disciples were invited to continue their prayers with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane on Holy Thursday night.
This Holy Thursday service at John XXIII Catholic Church was a very symboloic, solemn and sacred vigil, beckoning Catholic pilgrims. It  anticipates the next observance of the Easter Triduum  - Good Friday.


For more information on Holy Thursday click o the link -

Holy Thursday - Easter / Lent - Catholic Online

www.catholic.org/clife/lent/thurs.phpCached - SimilarShare
 

 For inspiring  respones to Pope Francis recent washing of the feet of detention inmates on Holy Thursday, click on

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/28/letters_from_prison/en1-677778