Holy Thursday 2027: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Washing of Feet and Prayers

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread.
And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me.
In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.
For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.

Before the festival day of the pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
And when supper was done, (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him,)
Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and goeth to God;
He riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself.
After that, he putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me.
Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.
Jesus saith to him: He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all.
For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean.
Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being set down again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you?
You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am.
If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.

Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray.
And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to grow sorrowful and to be sad.
Then he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here, and watch with me.
And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying, and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh to his disciples, and findeth them asleep, and he saith to Peter: What? Could you not watch one hour with me?
Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.

Pange, lingua, gloriosi
corporis mysterium,
sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
rex effudit gentium.

Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.

In supremae nocte coenae
recumbens cum fratribus,
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.

Verbum caro panem verum
verbo carnem efficit,
fitque sanguis Christi merum;
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.

Tantum ergo sacramentum
veneremur cernui,
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui,
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.

Genitori Genitoque,
laus et iubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio.
Procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.

Amen.

Sing, O my tongue, adore and praise
The depth of God’s mysterious ways:
How Christ, the world’s great King, bestow’d
His flesh conceal’d in human food,
And left mankind the blood that paid
The ransom for the souls he made.
Given from above, and born for man,
From virgin chaste his life began:
He liv’d on earth, and preached to sow
The seeds of heavenly love below;
Then seal’d his mission from above
With strange effects of power and love!
‘Twas on that ev’ning when the last
And most mysterious supper past;
When Christ with his disciples sat,
To close the law with legal meat;
Then to the twelve himself bestow’d
With his own hands to be their food.

The Word made flesh for love of man,
His word turns bread to flesh again,
And wine to blood, unseen by sense,
By virtue of omnipotence:
And here the faithful rest secure,
Whilst God can vouch and faith insure.
To this mysterious table now,
Our knees, our hearts, and sense we bow:
Let ancient rites resign their place
To nobler elements of grace:
And faith for all defects supply,
Whilst sense is lost in mystery.

To God the Father, born of none,
To Christ his co-eternal Son,
And Holy Ghost, whose equal rays,
From both proceed, be equal praise:
One honour, jubilee, and fame,
For ever bless his glorious name. Amen.

Lord Jesus, on the night before you died
you gave us your Body and Blood and washed your disciples’ feet.
Your friends could not watch one hour with you; let me stay with you now.
Thank you for the gift of the Eucharist and for our priests.
Give me a heart ready to serve,
and the courage to follow you through the cross to the Resurrection. Amen.