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This is Maundy Thursday. Some of you will know about, and are used to commemorating this day in Holy Week. Some of you have seen Maundy Thursday on the calendar and said, ‘Hmmm, what’s that?’ Here is a bit more information for you.
Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week. This is the day that Jesus and His Disciples were in the Upper Room, for what would be, the Last Supper. In fact, the word Maundy is an Anglo-French word, from the Latin ‘mandatum’, which means ‘commandment’. This is in reference to when Jesus said to the disciples: “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34, Revised Standard Version).
This day is also called Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. Churches usually celebrate this day with an informal meal, followed by Communion. In more recent years, some churches have actually brought back ‘foot-washing’, as some of our grandparents and great-grandparents did, in their churches, over a hundred years ago. That also comes from the washing of Jesus’ feet in the Upper Room, symbolizing humility and service, as described in the Gospel of John. Some church groups celebrate with a Tenebrae service, which is a candlelight service with the Holy Sacrament.
This is a very different Easter Week. We aren’t gathering in church. Instead, we are worshiping on our computers with streamed services, listening to radio or watching tv services. How can we remember Maundy Thursday? One way is to have a symbolic meal of slow-cooked beans, unleavened bread (crackers will work) and bitter herbs. Olives with fresh mint can be a part of this, plus dates (if available) and something called charoset, which is a fruit and nut paste. If you find those dates, open them and stuff with peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella. In our world, this comes close enough. Oh, and don’t forget the wine. After which, you can go onto your computer or pad and search for ‘Holy Sacrament’ for your particular church denomination, and have your own Communion Service at home. Save some crackers and pour some grape juice for that.
If you and your family are missing your church community, this is a way to worship and remember Maundy Thursday.