Vatican City, Apr 5, 2004 / 22:00 pm
In his brief Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 2004, presented today at the Vatican, Pope John Paul asked priests to give witness of holiness and promote vocations among the youth, especially among altar servers.
“Our annual encounter through this Letter,” the Pope writes, “is a particularly fraternal one, thanks to our common sharing in the Priesthood of Christ, and it takes place in the liturgical setting of this holy day marked by two significant celebrations; the morning Chrism Mass, and the evening Mass ‘in cena Domini’.”
The Holy Father reflects on Holy Thursday, saying it is the day “we were born as priests,” and also the day the Eucharist was established.
He then says that the Eucharist, which was “entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and has been passed down by them and their successors in every generation,” is “a gift from God ‘which radically transcends the power of the assembly’.”