Holy Thursday: The Mass of the Last Supper

On this sacred night we remember the event that gave the Church it's basic form of worship, the Eucharist. Jesus gathered with his apostles in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover Meal, one of the most important event in Jewish life. Here, after the traditional rites that are associated with the passover, Jesus took bread, blessed and gave it to the apostles, declaring that it was His Body. Then he took the cup of wine, blessed and offered it, and proclaimed it to be His Blood. He then commanded that it be done in his memory for all time. Since then, the Church, wherever she has gathered, has done the same in some form or fashion. Today's liturgy is certainly more elaborate, and if you go to an Orthodox liturgy, it is far more elaborate. In twenty centuries that Eucharist has celebrated, God's people have been fed with this heavenly food. Thus on Holy Thursday evening, we gather to remember the events. We once again hear the stories of Passover, break the Bread and drink from the Cup, and then following the Mass, we process to the Altar of Repose to adore the Lord in the Eucharistic Bread. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the church is completely emptied of all items, anything is movable to prepare for the Solemn Day of Good Friday. This is to symbolize the emptiness of death.