Thursday, April 9, 2009

Holy Thursday


This is my favorite evening of the year. Really, even better than Christmas. It's SO holy and no one has found a way to commercialize Holy Thursday. There are no gifts to buy, or relatives to visit. It's just a beautiful Mass followed by a solemn procession with "Pange Lingua" which stirs me to my toes, and then I get time alone with Jesus at the Altar of Repose. I love to follow the custom of visiting three different churches to be with Jesus on the commemoration of His night in prison before the Crucifixion, but I couldn't bring myself to leave St Mary's.
Tonight He drew me close. I can only describe it as a burning inside my heart, and a reluctance to leave.
Subjects for prayer kept popping into my head, and I ended up praying for all of my extended family, especially those who are away from the sacraments, for my recently deceased cousin Phil, for my work projects, my money problems, my houseguests, my prayer life, my job as a mother to each one of my children, my job as a wife, my happiness at what Jesus has accomplished in my life since I moved to CT, my plans to do more for Him in the future, my failure to lose weight, my success at making this a holier Lent, my plans to finish moving into my home, my book reviews (I ususally write them in front of Jesus, I just type them later) my gratitude for my parents' health, my hopes for Christina to begin to speak more clearly, my love of my family, my love for Jesus, my desire to let Him take over more and more of me. To give Him all my life, my will, my talents. My atttempts to overcome my pride. His attempts to help me overcome my pride. How I was honored to share in some of His sufferings this Lent. How I am grateful that after only 7 months in CT, I know nearly everyone at Mass. How I'm going to go to adoration on a regular basis, since I'm unemployed again, and I need the prayer time. How I'm applying for a job which I feel Jesus calling me to do. How I am amazed at all He's accomplished in my life.
No wonder I was there nearly 2 hours!
Now I understand why the saints loved adoration, it's like sitting in the sun, you radiate His light when you leave.
Thank you, Jesus for the gift of Your Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. Thank you Jesus for the gift of the priesthood which brings You to us.
Here is a live image of the Holy Eucharist in the monstrance. Here is a link from Catholic Culture for Holy Thursday.

2 comments:

Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller said...

Leticia, I am going to try out my daughter as a babysitter for the first time and take just my son to service. Then maybe I can get more out of the experience on a more regular basis. I read with amusement the passage in St. Therese's "Story of a Soul" in which her mother tells how she left Therese home sleeping while she went to 5:30 AM Mass! And Therese's mother was canonized last year. It just shows you don't have to be perfect to be a saint. And all those crosses you must bear, bear the fruits of suffering, as St. Therese also said. I will keep your intentions in my prayers as well.

Monica Crumley said...

Beautiful post, Leticia. Our Mass was beautiful tonight as well. I love the incense, the music and our priest sang/chanted all the Mass parts (and has a great voice!) You're right, it's a wonderful holy day without the secular squeezing itself in. Have a blessed weekend!