Christ Church Brunswick

Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday)

HOLY THURSDAY is traditionally called Maundy Thursday – and for good reason. The word Maundy derives from the Mandatum Novum – the New Commandment given by Jesus at the Last Supper to his disciples: they are to love one another as he loves.

In the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday evening, the love of Jesus himself is revealed transparently as utter humility and absolute self-giving. He gathers with his closest friends in the atmosphere of the Passover and under the shadow of the Cross. He longs to share this Last Supper with them that they may enter into the mystery of his own self-offering. It is an occasion of the greatest intimacy and tenderness; of foreboding too, for shortly they are to betray and desert him. For the disciples, there is sheer bewilderment. They are unable to grasp the significance of what Jesus is saying and doing. The sacrifice of the Cross, however, will make this clear. Taking a towel, he stoops before each of them in turn and washes their feet; this is the way they must follow if they are truly to be his disciples.

Tonight we gather with that band in the Upper Room with our Lord and God. We too wash feet, take Bread and Wine as he commanded and make Eucharist with him. Embodied thus, he stoops down to us and we reach out our hands to him. We beg for his cleansing touch, his empowering life, that we may keep his new commandment and love as he loves.

In this unfolding of unbelievable condescension, tonight, above all nights, we long to remain with him. We stay behind to watch and pray silently in the Garden, entering a little more into the life and love of God embodied there in Jesus our Master and our Lord.