Sacred Triduum – Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.
The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The word maundy comes from the command (mandate) given by Christ at the Last Supper, that we should love one another.
In Roman Catholic churches the anthem Mandatum novum do vobis (a new commandment I give to you) would be sung on Maundy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday in the United Kingdom features the monarch offering Maundy money, also known as Royal Maundy, to selected senior citizens – one man and one woman for each year of the monarch’s age. The monarch presents each man and woman with a red and white purse during the service. The red purse traditionally contains an allowance for clothing and provisions and the white purse holds Maundy coins to match the monarch’s age.
Many church services, particularly in many Catholic and Anglican churches, are held in the evenings. They may involve the blessing of oils used for sacraments. Services on this day usually reflect on the story of the Last Supper, which is told in the Christian bible.
This day also commemorates the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Some priests or ministers may wash the feet of some congregation members in memory of this event.
Before the Passover meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By performing this lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus “showed them the full extent of his love.” By his example, Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service. For this reason, many churches practice foot-washing ceremonies as a part of their Maundy Thursday services.
During the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and wine and asked his Father to bless it.
He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said,
“This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Then he took the cup of wine, shared it with his disciples and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you–an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.”
These events recorded in Luke 22:19-20 describe the Last Supper and form the biblical basis for the practice of Communion. For this reason, many churches hold special Communion services as a part of their Maundy Thursday celebrations. Likewise, many congregations observe a traditional Passover Seder meal.
Perfect love is fully revealed in Jesus. In choosing to wash his disciples feet Jesus adopted the position of a lowly servant. In Israel at this time, only the lowest of the low, bond servants, washed the feet of its guests, so menial , dirty and degrading was this task considered to be.
This gesture of love and service reveals the true heart of Jesus: he came to serve and not to be served. He came to give and not to take. He came to lay down his life for us.
He came to give us what we could not give of ourselves. We too are called to wash the feet of others. We are blessed if we learn this lesson of humble service. In this way we enter the school of perfect love.
