What is celebrated on Holy Thursday?

Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, the heart of the liturgical year. On that day, the Church commemorates three central events for the Catholic faith:

1. The institution of the Eucharist, when Jesus, at the Last Supper, sacramentally gives himself to his disciples under the species of bread and wine (cf. Mt 26:26-28).
2. The institution of the ministerial priesthood, when he ordained the Apostles to perpetuate his presence in the Church through the sacrament of Holy Orders (cf. Lk 22:19).
3. The commandment of fraternal love, which Jesus exemplifies by washing his disciples’ feet (cf. Jn 13:1-15).

At the evening Mass “In Coena Domini,” the liturgy takes on a special character: the Gloria is sung with bells, which then fall silent until the Easter Vigil; the washing of feet takes place, and at the end, the Blessed Sacrament is solemnly transferred to the “monument,” a place prepared for adoration.

Why is this day celebrated with such solemnity?

Holy Thursday is a feast of love. Christ gives himself before being betrayed. As the Catechism states (no. 1323): “Our Savior, at the Last Supper, on the night in which he was betrayed, instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood.”

This is the night in which Jesus anticipates his Passion and transforms it into a voluntary offering out of love for all. The Eucharist is not just a symbol: it is the Body and Blood of the Lord. On this day, the very heart of the Catholic faith is revealed.

The devotion of visiting the seven monuments

An ancient tradition that many people follow on Holy Thursday is the visit to seven churches or Eucharistic monuments to adore the Blessed Sacrament. This practice has roots in Rome and spread to many parts of the Catholic world, especially in Spain, the Philippines, and Latin America.

The visit to the seven monuments symbolizes the spiritual accompaniment of Jesus in his moments of solitude, from the Garden of Olives to his prison, and is related to the “seven places” where Jesus spent the night of his arrest:

1. From the Cenacle to the Garden of Gethsemane.
2. From Gethsemane to the house of Annas.
3. From Annas to the house of Caiaphas.
4. From Caiaphas to Pilate’s Praetorium.
5. From Pilate to Herod.
6. Back from Herod to Pilate.
7. From Pilate to Calvary.

In every church, a brief prayer of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is usually recited, followed by an Our Father and a Hail Mary. In total, six Our Fathers and six Hail Marys are recited, not seven, because at the final monument, we remain silent to accompany Christ in his final sacrifice, with no words other than contemplation. This gesture expresses inner recollection before the mystery of his Passion.

Prayers for Holy Thursday

Here are some prayers that can accompany adoration:

Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament

Lord Jesus, on this holy day, we adore you present in the Eucharist.
We unite ourselves to your sacrifice in the Upper Room and wish to accompany you in your Passion.
Give us a humble, pure, and loving heart like yours.
Increase our faith in your real presence, and make us witnesses of your love in the world. Amen.

Priestly Prayer for Vocations

Lord Jesus, who at the Last Supper gave your Apostles the gift of the priesthood,
we pray for all the priests of the world: sanctify them, protect them, and guide them.
Raise up new and generous vocations, who may celebrate your Eucharist with faith and devotion.
May there never be a lack of those who share your Body with those who hunger for you. Amen.

Marian Prayer

Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love,
you accompanied Jesus to the cross.
Teach us to live this Holy Thursday with faith,
and to love your Son present in the Eucharist.
Pray for us now and always. Amen.

A Day for Love

Holy Thursday is not just a liturgical memorial: it is a call to live love with concrete actions. The Eucharist, the priesthood, and fraternal love are profoundly united. To accompany Jesus on this day is to return to the origin, to the living source of Christianity.

May this day find us in adoration, silence, and gratitude. Because Love has become Bread… and has remained with us.