The Catholic Church recalled the first Mass ever celebrated: the Last Supper. Today’s commemoration begins the Easter Triduum, three days that celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. In the morning the Chrism Mass is celebrated and it's usually presided over in a cathedral by the bishop of each diocese. It's called Chrism because of the oils that are blessed and used throughout the year in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. On the evening of Holy Thursday, the Eucharist and priesthood are both celebrated.
Schola Cantorum Jubilate animated as previous years the first day of the Paschal Tridum at Ta’ Pinu National Shrine, presides by the Basilica rector Fr. Gerald Buhagiar. As introit the choir performed, Nos Autem Gloriari, a siutable proper psalm according to today’s Liturgy. This piece alternating with plain chant has a setting by choir composer’s P. Portelli. After the first prayers of the mass the celebrant intoned the Gloria, and the choir sang a rendition of Oltrasi’s Gloria from his mass ‘Cantate Domino’. After the gloria the organ and bells will stay silent until the Easter Vigil. Cantor Stefan Attard led the congregation during the psalm, ‘The blessing cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ’, followed by the gospel acclamation ‘Glorja u Tifhir’ by the Schola Cantorum. After the homily comes the Washing of the Feet, a rite performed by Christ himself upon His disciples. The Schola Cantorum started Bartolucci’s poignant Ubi Caritas while the Celebrant girded himself with an apron and washed the feet of 12 men he's chosen to represent the Apostles for the ceremony. Bartolucci’s O Sacrum Convivum accompanied the offerings proccesion while a moving ‘O Salutaris Hostia’ by the same Bartolucci was performed during communion. Finally the Eucharist was carried in procession to the Altar of Repose. At this moment choir voices was heard chanting the Pange Lingua, considered as the most beautiful of Aquinas' hymns and one of the great seven hymns of the Church.
