April 5, 2012
Christians around the Globe celebrate Maundy Thursday on April 5, the date is always between March 19 and April 22, both days inclusive, but these dates fall on different days depending on whether the Gregorian or Julian calendar is used liturgically. It is the celebration of Jesus’ Last supper with the Apostles. The Mass of the Lord's Supper initiates the Easter Triduum, the three days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday that commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. It is normally celebrated in the evening, when Friday begins according to Jewish tradition.
Thursday day is common to Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthodox churches. Many Protestants (particularly Evangelicals) celebrate the Lord's Supper Christmas, Easter, and at various other times throughout the year. The Roman Catholic ceremony is performed during in the evening, and the Greek Church, following the tradition of the Passover meal, performs the ceremony as well. Again, most of the Christian churches also celebrate the washing of the feet ceremony on Maundy Thursday to reminisce the time when Jesus washes the feet of his followers.
Holy the Thursday before Easter observed in commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. Thursday or Maundy Thursday meaning it is the Thursday of Passion week. Our 40 days of Lent helped us “prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed.” Now we come to Lord to help us experience what is offered us in the new Passover meal. It is a day before Good Friday or the Thursday before the Easter. Maundy Thursday is the name given the date wherein when we celebrate the Feast of Easter, it is the day where the Lord Almighty died in the cross to save us from our sin and we start a new beginning of our Life’s journey with God.
The word Maundy is derived from the Latin word meaning command. Maundy meaning it is a commandment when Jesus Christ celebrated the Passover with his believers or disciples or commonly called the Last Super & gave it to the believers or disciples during the Last Supper. , “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. The phrase is used as the antiphon sung during the "Mandatum" ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community for this is the night of the giving of a new commandment to the disciples of Jesus, that they should love one another.
Now To begin to prepare, the celebration on this day let us read the readings of this Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. Our chewing starts here, as does our nourishment. The Exodus account of the Passover tradition reminds us of the exit, the liberation, of the people in slavery in Egypt, and meal that commemorates it. “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate.” During our Lenten journey, we have desired greater freedom, and a deeper liberation from the patterns that keep us from being free. We want to come to the Holy Thursday memorial with those desires alive with hunger and thirst.
Psalm 116 asks, “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?” The word, “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” To come to this night of Holy Thursday prepared to celebrate, we can reflect on all the reasons we have to be grateful. The Spirit of Jesus uses the gift of gratitude to gather us for Eucharist.
Paul tells us the simple and profound words of Jesus, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The gift and the mandate. And Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.” Our celebration on Holy Thursday will show us how to proclaim the meaning of the Lord's gift to us.
During Holy Thursday, we focus on two significant things. 1) it is the night were Jesus joined with his disciples at the Last Super or known as Communion & commemorates institution of the Eucharist by our Lord Jesus Christ with His Apostles four days after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Christ's Crucifixion on Good Friday, as described in the Holy Gospels. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday. Majority of Christian churches perceive a special Communion service during Maundy Thursday in commemoration of Jesus’ Last Super with his disciples/believers
It is believed that the Last Supper took place in "the upper room" of the house believed to have been owned by John Mark and his mother, Mary (Acts 12:12). This room, also the site of the Pentecost, is known as the "Coenaculum" or the "Cenacle" and is referred to as "Holy and glorious Sion, mother of all churches" in St. James' Liturgy. At the site of this place -- our first Christian church -- a basilica was built in the 4th century. It was destroyed by Muslims and later re-built by the Crusaders. Underneath the place is the tomb of David.
2) During Maundy Thursday meaning it is the night when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an act of service and humility, thus setting as a motivation that we should serve and love one another with humility. The celebration of the Eucharist on Maundy Lord Jesus says on this day for the faithful “Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you..” While in Rome, the Pope would wash the feet of selected Cardinals. This was seen as fulfilling the mandate that the greatest among the brethren will be the servant of all. Today, the priest of a particular church or diocese does the ceremonial foot washing. Twelve men, who represent the twelve apostles, are chosen to be the participants.
This feast, however, is more than just the lead-in to Good Friday; it is, in fact, the oldest of the celebrations of Holy Week, and with good reason: Holy Thursday is the day that Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and the Mass. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Eat my body and drink my blood and do this in remembrance of Me," He instituted the Eucharist /Mass and made them the first priests.
On Holy Thursday, the priests of each diocese gather with their bishop to consecrate holy oils, which are used throughout the year for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. This ancient practice, which goes back to the fifth century, is known as the Chrism Mass ("chrism" is a mixture of oil and balsam used for the holy oils) and stresses the role of the Bishop as a successor to the apostles.
Except in very rare circumstances, there is only one Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday in each church: the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which is celebrated after sundown. It commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.
As to customs, many families have a practice of visiting the tabernacles of three or seven nearby churches after the Mass on this day as a sort of "mini-pilgrimage" (any nearby Catholic churches will do). Some families visit the churches directly after the evening Mass; others go home and wake up in the middle of the night to make the visits (though since churches are rarely open all night these days, this would be hard to do). The spirit of the visits to the churches is keeping vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus prayed before His arrest. Matthew 26:36 "Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray."
The message is clear let us awake with Jesus who is our master redeemer and savior and take the example to pray often and carry it till our life’s journey.
As this day is the feast of the priests an on this day Jesus instituted the Eucharist we wish all the priests a happy feast.
Lastly let us meditate the Psalms for Moundy Thursday that we can remember and nourish in our life:
Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you;
Then everyone will know you're my disciples:
because of the care you show for one another."
Now, Lord, you have invited us to share in your supper:
so we proclaim your death until you come again.
As you have washed our feet as the willing slave of all:
so we wash one another's feet as servants of others.
The basin of water to refresh the weary:
the towel to wipe the frustration of hard and bitter lives.
For you have given the Eucharist to your church:
and the church you have given to the whole of the world.
The bread, which we break together,
it's a sharing of your body, as we share the single loaf.
The cup of blessing that we bless:
it's a sharing of your blood that's freely shed for us.
At the end we depart in disarray:
what can I do; now you've left me all alone?
And yet, I'm not ever alone:
for you are now inside me, I can live as part of your body.
Thus when we celebrate the Feast of Easter, it is the day were the Lord Almighty died in the cross to save us from our sin. It is merely a thing that we should remember that Jesus sacrifices on our sin. It is merely one great thing to commemorate the Lords example of humbleness and humility. Maundy Thursday is celebrated in different concepts around the globe.
Hope this article will enlighten you the true meaning of Maundy Thursday, why we should celebrate and its great significant to our life.
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