Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday)
Maundy Thursday - also called Holy Thursday is the feast or holy day on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
On this day, Christians remember the Last Supper . During the meal Jesus took bread and wine and shared them with his disciples. Christians continue to share bread and wine as part of their worship in church.
The Last Supper was probably a Passover meal – the meal which Jewish people share together to celebrate the time when God delivered Moses and the people from slavery in Egypt.
The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When is Maundy Thursday?
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday . It is one of the lesser known days of the Christian calendar.
What is the origin of the name Maundy?
The name 'Maundy' is derived from the command or mandatum by Christ at the Last Supper, to love one another:
'And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ' John 15:12
The washing of feet
During the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. This act has sometimes been followed literally in history as a good way of reminding rulers that they are here to serve their subjects.
What happens in England on Maundy Thursday?
In England, the custom of washing feet by the Monarch was carried out until 1689. Up until then the King or Queen would wash the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday in Westminster Abbey. (You should, however, note that the feet were first washed by Yeoman of the Laundry before the monarch had to wash them and kiss them!). Food and clothing were also handed out to the poor.
© Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK Maundy Thursday Ceremony
In England today, the Queen follows a very traditional role of giving Maundy Money to a group of pensioners. The tradition of the Sovereign giving money to the poor dates from the 13th century.
Every year on this day, the Queen attends a Royal Maundy service in one of the many cathedrals through out the country. 'Maundy money' is distributed to male and female pensioners from local communities near the Cathedral where the Service takes place.
The Service
Yeomen of the Guards carry the Maundy Money in white and red leather purses on golden alms trays on their heads.
The amount of Maundy Money handed out, and the number of people receiving the coins, is equal to the age of the monarch.
The white leather purse contains silver Maundy coins matching the Queen's age in pence - 82p , while the red purse contains ordinary money.
In 2008, 82 male and 82 female pensioners will receive 82p in Maundy Money, because the Queen is 82 years old this year.
The men and women who receive the coins are all retired pensioners recommended by clergy and ministers of all denominations, in recognition of service to the Church and to the community.
What is Maundy Money?
Maundy coins are specially minted for the occasion and are legal tender and, as they are produced in such limited numbers, they are much sought after by collectors.
A complete set of Maundy money consists of:
groat (4p) threepence (3p) half-groat (2p) a penny (1p)
© Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK Other Maundy Thursday Rituals
Many Christians commemorate the Last Supper in a special Eucharist. In some churches, they may wash each other's feet. After the service the altar is stripped. Some Christians may hold an all night vigil in church, remembering Christ's time in the Garden of Gethsemane.
"This evening all over the Roman Christian World (as opposed to the Orthodox Christians who celebrate Easter in a couple of weeks time) people will be celebrating the re-enactment of Our Lords Last Supper, The Mass/ Holy Communion.
I shall be doing it with the rest of my church in a small Norfolk Church where Maundy Thursday has been celebrated for the past 1200 years.
After our Holy Communion we shall move off to a house and then celebrate a Sader meal, another enactment of the Last Supper Jesus of Nazareth shared together with his friends before being arrested and trialled on Good Friday tomorrow."
Philip W
© Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK