2 April 2026 (Thursday) / Holy Thursday. At Evening, Begin Easter Triduum of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection

2 April 2026 (Thursday)

Holy Thursday. At Evening, Begin Easter Triduum of the Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 116: 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18
Second Reading: First Corinthians 11: 23-26
Verse Before the Gospel: John 13: 34
Gospel: John 13: 1-15
Liturgical year 2026 (Cycle A/II)
Liturgical color: white (or gold)

The liturgical color for the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday is white (or gold), symbolizing joy, the institution of the Eucharist, and the priesthood. This Mass initiates the Easter Triduum, featuring the Gloria, bells, and the washing of feet, marking a festive atmosphere before the solemnity of Good Friday. 

Key Liturgical Details for Holy Thursday:
Color: White or Gold.

Focus: Institution of the Eucharist and Holy Orders, and the Last Supper.

Significance: While part of the Holy Week, Holy Thursday evening is treated as a solemn feast day.

Liturgy Components: The Gloria is sung (often with bells ringing) and a Washing of the Feet (Mandatum) ceremony takes place.

Conclusion: The Mass ends with a procession, transferring the Blessed Sacrament to an altar of repose for adoration, and the altar is later stripped. 

Other Holy Week Colors:
Monday-Wednesday: Purple (Penance).
Good Friday: Red (Passion and Blood).
Easter Vigil/Sunday: White/Gold (Resurrection). 

Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

First Reading: Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14

1 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
2 This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first in the months of the year.
3 Speak ye to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month let every man take a lamb by their families and houses.
4 But if the number be less than may suffice to eat the lamb, he shall take unto him his neighbour that joineth to his house, according to the number of souls which may be enough to eat the lamb.
5 And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, of one year: according to which rite also you shall take a kid.
6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month: and the whole multitude of the children of Israel shall sacrifice it in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood thereof, and put it upon both the side posts, and on the upper door posts of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
8 And they shall eat the flesh that night roasted at the fire, and unleavened bread with wild lettuce.
11 And thus you shall eat it: you shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall eat in haste: for it is the Phase (that is the Passage) of the Lord.
12 And I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will kill every firstborn in the land of Egypt both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
13 And the blood shall be unto you for a sign in the houses where you shall be: and I shall see the blood, and shall pass over you: and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I shall strike the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be for a memorial to you: and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord in your generations with an everlasting observance.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 116: 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

R. (1 Cor 10:16) Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
12 What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things he hath rendered unto me?
13 I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
16bc I am thy servant: I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid. Thou hast broken my bonds:
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.
17 I will sacrifice to thee the sacrifice of praise, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people:
R. Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

Second Reading: First Corinthians 11: 23-26

23 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.
24 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.
25 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.
26 For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come.

Verse Before the Gospel: John 13: 34
34 I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you.
(30. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was night.
31. When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.
32. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.
33. Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.
34. I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you.
35. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples.)

Gospel: John 13: 1-15

1 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.
2 And when supper was done, (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him,)
3 Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and goeth to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself.
5 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.
6 He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
7 Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
8 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.
9 Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.
10 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.
11 For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean.
12 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?
13 You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am.
14 If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.

For our reflection today:

On this Thursday, Jesus was at table with the disciples, celebrating the feast of Passover. And the passage of the Gospel which we heard contains a phrase that is the very core of what Jesus did for us: “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). Jesus loved us. Jesus loves us. Without limit, always, to the end”. Jesus’ love for us knows no limits: always more and more. He never tires of loving anyone. He loves us all, to the point of giving his life for us. Yes, giving his life for us; yes, giving his life for all of us, giving his life for each one of us. And every one of us can say: “He gave his life for me”. Everyone: He gave His life for you, for you, for you, for you, for me, for him... [pointing to the inmates] for each person, by first and last name. His love is like that: personal. Jesus’ love never disappoints, because He never tires of loving, just as He never tires of forgiving, never tires of embracing us. This is the first thing that I wanted to say to you: Jesus loved us, every one of us, to the end.

And then, He does something that the disciples don’t understand: washing the feet. In that time, this was usual, it was customary, because when the people arrived in a home, their feet were dirty with the dust of the road; there were no cobblestones at that time.... There were dusty roads. And at the entrance to the house, they washed their feet. It was not done by the master of the house but by the slaves. That was the task of a slave. And like a slave, Jesus washes our feet, the feet of his disciples, and that is why He says: “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand” (Jn 13:7). Jesus’ love is so great that He became a slave to serve us, to heal us, to cleanse us.

Today, in this Mass, the Church would like the priest to wash the feet of 12 people, in memory of the 12 Apostles. But in our hearts we must be certain, we must be sure that, when the Lord washes our feet, He washes us entirely, He purifies us, He lets us feel his love yet again. There is a very beautiful phrase in the Bible, the prophet Isaiah says: “Can a mother forget her child? But even if a mother could forget her child, I will never forget you” (cf. 49:15). God’s love for us is like this.

And today I will wash the feet of 12 of you, but all of you are in these brothers and sisters, all of you, everyone. Everyone who lives here. You represent them. But I too need to be washed by the Lord, and for this you pray during the Mass, that the Lord also wash away my impurities, that I might become a better servant to you, a better slave at the service of the people, as Jesus was. Now let us begin this part of the celebration.

MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
"Our Father" Church Rebibbia New Complex District Prison, Rome Holy Thursday, 2 April 2015

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Pelayan Atasan Tertinggi / Most High Servant,
Yesus, Maria, Yusuf Pelayanan Kasih / Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love 
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)

My vocation is Blessed and Saints.

"I am the most humble of all the Saints in Heaven" Mary, Mother of God.

"I am the handmaid of the Lord, said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me."

Mother Mary is the most humble Saint in Heaven and she is also the Mother of God for us all
(Luke 1:38)