“Our Lord’s Synonymous Last Commandment and the Pathway to Heaven”
Homily for Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
April 14, 2022
Archdiocese of San Francisco
Homily for Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
“Even if you may not know God very well, I can assure you that he loves you very, very much.” These words were written by Ellie, a student participating in the Cards of Mercy project, on a card destined for the San Francisco jails.
“The individual bishops as . . . member[s] of the episcopal college and legitimate successor[s] of the apostles, [are] obliged by Christ’s institution and command to be solicitous for the whole Church, and this solicitude, though it is not exercised by an act of jurisdiction, contributes greatly to the advantage of the universal Church. For it is the duty of all bishops to promote and to safeguard the unity of faith and the discipline common to the whole Church.”
The beauty of the universality of the Church is that people around the world celebrate the holiest days of the year with rich traditions that stem from a society steeped in Catholic faith. Centuries of fusing Holy Week and Easter customs to local resources and cultural traditions have produced a patchwork of unique liturgical traditions, blessings, art, recipes and more.