Jesus’ last night on earth taught us a new spirit, a new covenant of sacrifice for each other, Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey said in his Holy Thursday Homily on March 28 at the Corpus Christi Cathedral.
Holy Thursday opened the Paschal Triduum, which will be followed by Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Saturday.
Bishop Mulvey said, “We live in a society where you can buy yourself a place in the front of the line. Who has more goes first.” He said, however, that as Christians we must reject that mentality.
Bishop Mulvey transfer Holy Eucharist to adoration chapel. (Alfredo Cardenas, South Texas Catholic)
Referencing Pope Francis homily at his Chrism Mass, Bishop Mulvey said, that “our misery, our discouragement is due to the fact that we don’t want to give, we want to live in the privileged class.”
But, said Bishop Mulvey, we cannot divorce the washing of the feet, an example of serving others, from the Eucharist, Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for us. “Jesus asks us to make the same sacrifice He made for us,” the bishop said.
In coming to Mass, to the Eucharist, the faithful come to be oriented to Christ, to go and serve, to wash feet; to serve everyone, as Christ served everyone.
After the homily, Bishop Mulvey gave up his cathedra–his chair at the altar–to the vicar general, two religious sisters, a deacon, the lector, a member of the choir and a number of people from the congregation and washed and kissed their feet.
At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Mulvey processed around the cathedral and transferred the Holy Eucharist from the altar to the side chapel. After which, the altar was stripped and a night watch was initiated at the adoration chapel.