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 Services on Maundy Thursday mark the commemoration of the Last Supper, the
last meal Jesus would have with his disciples and the time when he instituted the words we say when celebrating the Eucharist, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you
. Do this for the remembrance of me” and “Drink this, all of you: this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you
drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Maundy is derived from the Latin “mandatum” which refers to the new commandment found in the Gospel of
John 13:34, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
The scriptural account of Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples embodies this new commandment and is known to have been a sign shared by
Christians at Maundy Thursday services as early as the 4th Century. Our evening service begins with the sharing of an agape (meaning our love of
neighbor) meal of such things as grapes and cheese. At about 7:30 p.m. we move to the sanctuary for the evening service, beginning much like a
Sunday service with music, readings, and a short homily. Either before or after the homily we offer the opportunity for anyone who wishes to
participate in the washing of another’s feet. Why the feet and not another part of the body? Because even today, while our feet may not be dirty
and dusty, they are still the lowest part of ourselves: one must kneel down in some way, as a servant would, in order to wash them. That is
where the sign of service is revealed and a way that early Christians embodied the words their Master gave them. Like Peter saying to Jesus as
he knelt down at Peter’s feet, “You will never wash my feet”, it is natural for us today to resist such an act. We invite all who wish to do so to
share in this liturgical moment. Whether or not you choose to participate, we encourage all who are present to pray for understanding of the
commandment to love one another, and the meaning it holds for us in our lives today.
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