An Introduction To The Maundy Thursday Service

Below is a description of the meaning and content of the ancient Maundy Thursday service. Adapt this material to current usage and style.

In the ancient church the service of Maundy Thursday began the great triduum, the three great days of the paschal celebration. These were days of fasting and prayer, days when the final acts of Christ's saving work were remembered by the church. The day gets its name from the Latin mandatum novarum ("a new commandment"—John 13:34), which was translated into the French mande. A primary meaning of this service is to celebrate the giving of the new commandment to love one another, a commandment given in the context of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. When we celebrate this service, the covenant between God and ourselves is renewed, and we are made ready for his death and resurrection. The agape meal that is celebrated with this service symbolizes, as meals in the Old Testament did, the relationship we have with God. After the agape meal, the people assemble to worship. Because of the solemnity of the moment, the service is opened in silence. A silent procession of the minister and choir is followed by the prayer. These two acts constitute the entrance to worship. The people are then seated for the Scripture readings and the sermon. After the sermon, the ceremony of the washing of the feet is conducted. In some traditions all the people of the congregation are involved in the ceremony. In other congregations the washing of the feet is done by the minister to several people in the congregation. The minister may choose to wash the feet of several leaders of the church, representatives from among the leaders, or representatives from various groups or ages in the congregation. All that is needed is a pitcher of water, a basin, and a towel. The people, having removed their shoes, sit in a place visible to all. The minister then washes their feet as the choir and/or congregation sings suitable anthems or songs. After the washing of the feet, the service continues with the prayers of the people, followed by the Lord's Supper. After the Last Supper, our Lord went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray while his disciples watched and prayed with him. Consequently it has been customary to have a prayer vigil after the Maundy Thursday service, extending through the night in some churches. The church may either be open, allowing people to come and go as they please, or various persons may sign up to pray at designated half hours, or hours throughout the night. For those who are able to do the vigil, the tiredness of the body itself, which is often sustained through the three days, assists the spirit in experiencing to some small degree the pain and suffering of our Lord.