As we journey through Holy Week and arrive at Maundy Thursday, we may wonder what to do on this day. It is a day which is steeped in tradition and, sadly, confusion. While the day is somber as it reflects on the night of the Last Supper and Christ’s betrayal in the Garden, these events are invited to cause us to pause and reflect on the past 37 days of Lent and the journey we’ve undertaken.
As the late Rev. Dennis G. Michno conveys in his book, A Priest’s Handbook, about Maundy Thursday
…the emphasis of this day (is) a) the institution of the Holy Eucharist; b) the law of love, symbolized in the washing of feet; and c) the beginning of the celebration of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
…The liturgy of this evening should convey the strength of solemnity and restraint… It initiates a time of watching, waiting, and contemplating, as we enter into the commemoration of the mystery of our redemption… the liturgy concludes with the stripping of the altar and the setting of the watch.
As we prepare for the final steps of our commemoration of Jesus’ Passion, we may ask ourselves what the symbolism of Maundy Thursday means to us, individually and as a Church. What does it mean to carry out God’s law of love in a fractured community? What can we get strength from as the finery on the altar gets stripped away? How are we changed in the time of waiting for Jesus’ ultimate return?
I invite you to join us tonight or tomorrow for worship, or Saturday as we prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.
Les+
