Today, on Holy Thursday, all priests are invited to attend Mass to reaffirm their communion with the bishop and to renew their vows of ordination.

At this special time, each priest and parishioner will receive a card with a prayer for those suffering from mental health problems. The coordinator of the project is Anastasia Mironova and the aim of the project is to support people with mental health problems in the community and to help the parishioners and the clergy to create an atmosphere of acceptance and mutual assistance in the Church.

Donor: Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers

Significance for Holy Thursday

Two Holy Masses are celebrated on Holy Thursday: the Liturgy of the Chrism, in which the bishop blesses the chrism, the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens. All priests are invited to attend this Mass to reaffirm their communion with the bishop and to renew their vows of ordination.

The second Mass, called the Lord's Supper, commemorates the day of the triumph of Jesus' infinite love for all people: "He loved them to the end." In particular, this celebration makes us live three mysteries that express or manifest this infinite love: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, the command of the Lord, with the washing of the feet, to love and serve one another.

The Eucharist is the remembrance of the Lord's suffering, being the one that reveals the meaning of his gift: "This is my body given for you ... This cup is the new covenant in my blood." He could not have given us a greater, richer, and more precious gift.

As for the gift of the priesthood, it perpetuates Christ's redemptive presence in the world. The priest is another Christ: he perpetuates the sacrifice of Jesus on the altar, preaches like Jesus, distributes grace, that is, the sacraments of God, and intercedes for all.

In addition, Holy Thursday is the day of brotherly love. Jesus often preached love not only to our friends but also to our enemies and to those who harm us. Therefore, he sets an example by washing the feet not only of the faithful apostles but also of Judas. Through this example of humility, Jesus wants to teach us that the one who grows small is truly greater, that authority means serving others, and that we should always feel close to one another, loving one another with sincere affection, helping one another. and supporting each other.

How did the Liturgy of Christ 2022 go

Bishop Anton Coșa presided at the Liturgy of the Chrism again this year, together with all the clergy and consecrated persons, as well as the faithful.

The Cathedral of the Divine Providence saw the presence of all the priests, who renewed their promises of ordination. This liturgical act was preceded during the sermon by a question from the bishop: “Holy Thursday is the day when, more than ever, we can ask ourselves: why did I choose the path of the priesthood? Why do so many young people continue to choose to become priests? The answers can be many and varied, because how many priests, so many answers, because each vocation is a particular history ”.

It was the bishop who, during the sermon, indicated the answer, recalling the need for the priesthood to be an imitation of Christ: "All we have to do is follow the sure path of imitating Christ."

Conformity with Christ, the bishop reminded, referring to St. Gregory the Great, is possible following two itineraries: “To achieve this goal it is necessary not to disperse in many activities, thus avoiding confusion in the face of higher demands. In this context, I reaffirm the principle of synodality, which urges us to collaborate with all members of the parish community. The model is obviously Jesus, who says that "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (Lk 4:48) and that "My Father is working until now; I work too! ” (In 5,17) ”.

The second itinerary "is the practice of humility, which does not consist in feeling inferior to others, but in discreet and generous fulfillment of one's responsibilities."

In conclusion, the bishop said that "the likeness of Christ requires that each of us fulfill his own responsibilities to God and to people with discretion and generosity."

During the liturgy, the bishop blessed the oils, which will be used in the parishes for the administration of the sacraments. Before the final blessing, the vicar general addressed a thought of gratitude to the bishop for the gift of his service to the Church of Moldova.

The Holy Mass and the meeting that followed were an opportunity to exchange Easter greetings.