CHARLOTTE — It was a subdued liturgy for Holy Thursday April 9, as Bishop Peter Jugis offered the Mass of the Lord’s Supper inside a near-empty St. Patrick Cathedral because of public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The liturgy was streamed live on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel. A period of
Eucharistic Adoration, also streamed live online, followed the Mass.
The Triduum – the holy days leading up to Easter – typically begin with a more elaborate Holy Thursday Mass, which commemorates Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.
But this Holy Thursday, the Mass was attended by only the cathedral’s clergy and a couple of cameramen to livestream the private service online to the faithful of the diocese. Public gatherings in North Carolina have been limited to fewer than 10 people as public health officials strive to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 60 people in the state and over 85,000 people worldwide to date.
In his homily, Bishop Jugis talked about the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and the example He sets for Christians to love another.
The Gospel reading for the Mass was from John 13:1-15, and the bishop singled out from the reading the sentence: Jesus “loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end.”
“That phrase is very significant,” he said. “The sufferings of Christ which we are commemorating these days – the Passion and the death of Christ – is an expression of love. His suffering, His Passion, His crucifixion, His death (are) an expression of love for all of humanity.”
Christ gave us His life – His Body and Blood – for the salvation of the world, and His sacrifice is remembered on Holy Thursday and at every Mass, the bishop said.
Christ’s sacrifice – on the cross and in the Eucharist – demonstrates His love for humanity.
The Eucharist is also the heart and center of parish life, which means that Christ’s love is at the center of parish life, Bishop Jugis said. “And at the heart of every Christian is Christ’s love, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
“Yes, during these days, which we initiate today with this Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrating the sacrificial love of Christ for all of humanity,” he said.
As the Holy Triduum begins, the bishop encouraged people to rededicate themselves to loving one another “to the end” just as Christ loves us.
— Catholic News Herald
