Gospel Readings

Today, Fr Paul does not give his usual Gospel Reflection but instead shares a little about the history and ceremony of Holy Thursday and invites us all to join in the unique and beautiful services we celebrate at Easter. Explanation & History   The Holy Thursday ceremony is the first of ceremony of the Easter Triduum. It takes place on the Thursday before Easter. This ceremony commemorates the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at The Last Supper. This ceremony was already celebrated by the 4th Century as it is mentioned in the Council of Hippo (393). The traditional name for Holy Thursday is Maundy Thursday. This name comes from the first antiphon of the ceremony of the washing of the feet. Since 1955 this ceremony has been celebrated in the evening when as many of the community can come. White vestments are worn. The Tabernacle is empty before the start of the mass because all are expected to receive the hosts consecrated at this mass. The bells are rung during the Gloria and then they will remain silent until Easter. The Holy Thursday ceremony has a number of parts that make it different from a normal mass. These are: Washing of the Feet In this part of the ceremony, which began to be celebrated around 694, twelve people come forward after the homily and have their feet washed. The washing of feet follows Christ’s example from the gospel. It ritualises the Christian ideal of a leadership of service; service which Christ expresses fully by laying down his life on the cross. The second thing that is different from a normal mass is the transfer of the Holy Eucharist. Transfer of the Holy Eucharist At the end of this mass the Blessed Sacrament is taken in a procession to another altar called the Altar of Repose, which is first mentioned in history in the 15th Century. The Blessed Sacrament will be used for communion on Good Friday when no mass is celebrated. In many places, the people stay after the ceremony and keep watch by taking turns praying before the Blessed Sacrament. On behalf of the Parish Community, Fr Paul warmly invites us all to join in this year’s Holy Thursday mass at 6pm this evening at St Agnes’ Church in Hay Street.

Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (26: 14-25) which commemorates the first part of the Last Supper, the preparation, and the betrayal. Fr Paul says the strange pre-planned sequence of Jesus sending his disciples to encounter a seemingly random stranger in the city occurs both for Jesus’ solemn donkey ride [...]

Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (13: 21-33, 36-38) which shares details of Jesus’s last meal with his disciples. Fr Paul says rather than telling us the story of the Last Supper, the Gospel give us only two incidents at the Supper, that there is traitor, and the institution of [...]

Holy Week began with Palm Sunday celebrations and today Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (12: 1-11) which tells the story of the anointing of Jesus’ feet with costly ointment at Bethany six days before he makes his way to Jerusalem for Passover. Fr Paul says in Mark and Matthew [...]

Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (11: 45-56) in which the Chief Priests and Pharisees meet to decide what to do about Jesus. Fr Paul says the Gospel reading takes us to the aftermath of the raising of Lazarus. It is typical of John’s contrasts that the gift of life given [...]

Fr Paul Gooley reads today from the John (10: 31-42) in which the Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone Jesus. Fr Paul says this scene of confrontation between Jesus and his opponents takes place at the Festival of the Dedication. This agrees with John’s theme that Jesus takes over, or centres in [...]

Fr Paul Gooley reads today from the John (8: 51-59) in which Jesus says ‘whoever obeys my word will never see death’. Fr Paul says the Gospel passage brings to its climax the account of the confrontation of Jesus with ‘the Jews’ in the Temple at the Festival of Tabernacles. The gospel tells [...]

Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (1: 26-38) in which Mary is greeted by the Angel Gabriel saying “Rejoice so highly favored! The Lord is with you” and she responds to God’s request saying, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me”. Fr [...]

Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of John (8: 21-30) in which Jesus tells the people about the Father but they fail to understand what he is telling them. Fr Paul says scene in the Temple we’ve heard today is full of questions: ‘Where is your Father?’, ‘Is he going to kill himself?’, [...]

Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (8: 1-11) in which the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman, who had been caught in adultery, to Jesus to test him and Jesus says to them, “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to [...]