BROWNSVILLE — As part of this year’s Holy Week, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral celebrated Holy Thursday to commemorate The Last Supper that Jesus Christ had with his 12 disciples before he was crucified on the cross.
“It commemorates the night Lord Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and instituted the Holy Eucharist, when he had The Last Supper with them the night before he was handed over for his passion,” Bishop Daniel Flores said. “We commemorate this, and it’s a very joyful mass in the beginning because it’s a time when the Lord is with his disciples and sharing his last meal with them.”
The church re-enacted the Last Supper by distributing bread to everyone in the church, and Bishop Flores washed the feet of 12 church members, portraying the Jesus’ disciples.
“Most people say (Jesus had 12 disciples) because it represented the 12 tribes of Israel, that they were the beginning of the new Israel that would begin to announce the Gospel to the world,” Flores said.
Deacon Robert Cano said washing the disciples’ feet shows, to the rest of the world, to not be ashamed of helping the very poor.
“Jesus washed the feet of the apostles even though the feet were dirty,” Cano said. “Pope Francis washed the feet of all the prisoners during this Holy Thursday. So it means that Jesus humbles himself to becoming a king, and he humbles himself to serve everyone.”
After Holy Thursday, people commemorate Good Friday, when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross; Holy Saturday, when Jesus laid in the tomb after he died; and Passion Sunday, when God brought Jesus back to life and ascended him into heaven.
Ruby Hernandez has been an altar server for Immaculate Conception for the past 10 years. She said it’s important for people to commemorate Holy Week to remind everyone what happened to Jesus Christ when he was walking the Earth.
“It’s a reminder for people to think about what had happened when Jesus was here and how he died for us,” Hernandez said.
