SCCR Parish Blog

  In the Church's Liturgy of the Hours (daily prayer cycle for the universal Church required for all priests, deacons and religious), I have certain favorites I like to meditate on each year. This beautifully poetic Holy Thursday reflection from St. Melito regarding the sufferings of all mankind that Christ took upon Himself, is one of them. From an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop The Lamb that was slain has delivered us from death and given us life There was much proclaimed by the prophets about the mystery of the Passover: that mystery is Christ, and to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.   For the sake of suffering humanity he came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man’s des...

Find out more about Holy Thursday from this National Catholic Register blogpost. Note: In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the Chrism Mass was celebrated early, this past Tuesday of Holy Week.  You can view the livestream of that Mass at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral Basilica on YouTube. Below, from the Magnificat devotional magazine, is an excerpt of the significance of the Chrism Mass mentioned in the above article - including the purpose of that Mass and the texts that priests use to renew the promises they made on ordination day.  Please pray for your priests and for the men preparing to be ordained to the priesthood for service of our Archdiocese this May. ================================ This Mass, which the Bishop concelebrates with his presbyterate, should be, as it were, a manifestation of the Priests’ communion with their Bishop. Accordingly it is desirable that all the Priests participate in it, insofar as is possible, .... . To signify the unity of the presbyterat...

  For your meditation on this Holy Thursday, I am including a post from a blog that has a few excerpts from the great American bishop and Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen on the meaning of the Mass of the Lord's Supper.