Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday; the most sacred time in the Christian calendar. Holy Week is traditionally a week of special solemnity for the purposes of worshipping Christ and showing reverence toward the great suffering He endured and the great sacrifice He made for mankind. For liturgically-oriented churches, Maundy Thursday is also the first day of the Easter Triduum, the three days immediately before Easter Sunday. The entire Triduum is composed of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil (a vigil from sunset of Holy Saturday to midnight, it is the first celebration of Christ’s resurrection for its practitioners). In this tradition, Maundy Thursday receives an even greater emphasis. But what events does Maundy Thursday actually commemorate?
Maundy Thursday is the day that the church traditionally marks to recognize Christ’s initiation of Communion and the washing of the disciples' feet. But it is also the day the church recognizes the commands of Christ on the night he was betrayed. Maundy Thursday gets its name from Jesus’ words at the Last Supper in John 13:34: “Mandatum novum do vobis…” Here “mandatum,” our source for the word “maundy” means “command” and it is the direct object of the verb “vobis” which means “I gave.” Maundy Thursday is the day Christ gave Christians a new commandment to love one another, just as Christ loved us.
On this Thursday, Christians are called to reflect on the love Christ has shown through His death on the cross. We are also called to reflect on our response to his death for our salvation. No matter what your interpretation of the state of the elements may be, Communion is a poignant and powerful participation in Christ’s sacrifice for all who place their faith in Him. As such, we must respond to it appropriately. As a sacramental fulfillment of the Gospel, Christians must treat the Lord’s Supper with respect and reverence. 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 gives instruction on how Christians should approach the elements, for those who eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner eat and drink judgment on themselves. The Lord’s Supper is no light matter, and Maundy Thursday reminds us of this.
This day also commemorates the washing of the disciples’ feet. In this, Christ gave the disciples an example of how Christians should live their lives in light of His life and sacrifice. Christians are called to live their lives humbly, serving others and exhibiting the love Christ has demonstrated to all mankind. Christians must constantly work to foster the loving posture of a servant’s heart. It is for this command to love that Maundy Thursday is named, and it is this same command for which Christians are reminded to examine their lives.
Maundy Thursday is preeminently a day for Christians to contemplate how their lives have been touched by the Gospel: the Christian life is one that must be lived purposefully, be it through Communion or through service to others. Through service and many other aspects of Christian life, a Christian may show Christ’s love to those around him—but most of all, he must show his gratitude to Christ for what He has done for all Christians through His death, burial, and resurrection.