WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – April 26th – Fr. Thomas

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What happened to Easter? For most people confined to their homes during this pandemic, it seems like Lent has been extended. But we know the truth, and the truth, (at least spiritually) has set us free. We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song. (Alleluia, that Latin word, which originally derives from the Hebrew word Hallelujah, means “Praise the Lord.”) How and why did this expression of jubilation survive down through the centuries? Perhaps the Church found that other words were simply inadequate when we consider the awesome mystery of Christ’s resurrection. We know that our familiar words cannot always express what we feel and know. As Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb, so God says to us, “Come out into the glorious light.” If not literally, we can bask in the glow of God’s love and joy, metaphorically during these days of incarceration, waiting for the glory that shall be revealed. We can say our prayers, in particular the “Daily Office,” i.e. morning, evening, noonday, and night prayers as provided in the Prayer Book or go to  https://www.missionstclare.com/  for the daily scripture readings and prayers. Know that “This too shall pass,” and it will be a joyful and glorious moment when we can gather together in person. So, when you get to wit’s end, you’ll find God is there, because as I’m fond of saying, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

NOTICES for this week:

The Bishop’s Orders – “I am extending the closure of congregations, schools, and special ministries until at least the end of the academic year.   

  • View – Sunday mass– a videos posted are be found on the church’s website, Facebook via our YouTube channel. Do not forget to subscribe free so that we will in the future be able to retain our site.
  • Urgent Message– Please continue to pray for an end to the COVID-19 virus and its victims and thank you for your continued financial support (check, automated bank transfers or electronic donations via https://www.myeoffering.com to the life and witness our congregation in this community. For safety and security issue, please do not leave any checks in the communication mailbox attached to the parish building at the front door. For your daily devotional readying the May/June/July copies of “Forward Day by Day” are available there as well. As a reminder, the music ministry continues, outreach is still feeding the homeless. Some of us have already received the government’s stimulus checks, or discounts on various utilities or insurances, or simple savings of not going out to eat so often. We also have the ability to pray for others, donate blood, and particularly lessen the load on our medical resources by staying home and taking care of each other via phone calls; you never know who else needs to hear a friendly voice.
  • In case of a pastoral emergency, you can leave a message on our voice mail, and we will respond as quickly as possible.
  • Please Pray – For the sick: Carole, Patti, Sandy, Kim, Joe, Steve, Bob, Linda, Francine, Timone, Donna, Ashlyn, Robin. For birthday celebrations: John Algood, Therese Guillaume, Janice Jacques. For our expectant mothers: Dani and Andrea.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Physician of the body and soul, You restored sight to the blind, healed the lame and cured those with leprosy. Grant, we beseech You, the necessary knowledge and perseverance to all who are working on a vaccine to quickly end the spread of COVID-19. Have mercy on those who have died, and grant comfort to all who are affected in any way and those who are living in apprehension. Give us the grace each day to trust in You and Your loving mercy. We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

https://www.facebook.com/SaintDavidsInThePines/

For the full scripture readings, please refer to The Lectionary Page by clicking the link below….

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster3_RCL.html

Third Sunday of Easter – 4/26/20 – The Road to Emmaus.

Acts 2:14a, 36-41      Fifty days after Jesus’ crucifixion-resurrection (the Feast of Pentecost). Peter boldly preached the first Christian sermon on a Jerusalem street corner. Here are his concluding words and the effect of his sermon on those who heard him.

Psalm 116: 1-3, 10-17     The psalmist is filled with thankfulness because God has delivered him from some danger which threatened his life. The latter part of the reading has for the Christian overtones which suggest the Eucharist: “the cup of salvation” (v.11). “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (v.15).

1 Peter 1:17-23        In Acts 2, Peter is telling Jerusalem what the Lord’s resurrection means to him weeks after the event. Here, more than a generation later, he gives a more profound view of what Christ’s resurrection means.

Luke 24:13-35     This resurrection appearance indicates something of the impetus which caused the Lord’s Supper to be so universally observed from the very first. Jesus had evidently performed the mealtime ritual – “he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them” (v. 30) – so many times with his followers that the act was indelibly associated with remembrance of him.

Challenge Questions:

  1. As the two travelers walk along the road and talk with the stranger (who is actually Jesus), how do they describe the events of the previous three days?
  2. What is their understanding about Jesus and the recent happenings in Jerusalem? How do they feel about their prospects for the future?
  3. As Jesus walks with them, how does he explain the things about himself as revealed in the Scriptures? Why was it important for him to interpret these things to them?
  4. In addition to the revelation of Scripture, Jesus is recognized through the breaking of the break (Lk. 24:35). How do you feel the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in other ways in your own life?
  5. In the Epistle reading (1Pet. 1:17-23), what is expected of those who belong to the new community of believers in Christ? How do we carry out these responsibilities today?

 

Sunday Mass – 2nd Sunday of Easter -April 19, 2020 – (VIDEO)

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Enjoy our Easter Sunday video by clicking the link below via YouTube (please subscribe free).

Also available on Facebook and via member E-Newsletter link.

Have a blessed Sunday morning and make this a wonderful week.

 

 

Video

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – April 19th – Fr. Thomas

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We know by now that New York state leads the country in the number of deaths due to COVID-19.  Apparently, though, there are not enough burial plots for the recently increased number of victims, so corpses are being “stockpiled.” This situation reminds me of a town in France where, decades ago, a similar outbreak occurred forcing the mayor to issue a law forbidding anyone who lived in that town to die.

Well, sadly, we don’t have that option, regardless of the municipality we live in.  However, the Good News is that we have a home in heaven waiting for us! Some may have to wait longer than others to reach their final destination, but imagine the joy and celebration in heaven when we do.  If death came into the world through the first act of disobedience with Adam and Eve taking fruit from the tree, everlasting life with God came by Jesus’ death on a tree.  This is Good News every day, every week, month, and year because Easter is not merely one day or season, but a way of life.  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory because there’s plenty of room in heaven for all who believe and walk down that road that leads to eternal life. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

NOTICES for this week

  • View – Sunday mass– a video will be posted on the church’s website, Facebook via our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe free so that we will in the future be able to retain our site.
  • Urgent Message– Please continue to pray for an end to the COVID-19 virus and its victims and thank you for your continued financial support (check, automated bank transfers or electronic donations via www.myeoffering.com  to the life and witness our congregation in this community. As a reminder, the music ministry continues, outreach is still feeding the homeless, Some of us have already received the government’s stimulus checks, or discounts on various utilities or insurances, or simple savings of not going out to eat so often. We also have the ability to pray for others, donate blood, and particularly lessen the load on our medical resources by staying home and taking care of each other via phone calls; you never know who else needs to hear a friendly voice.
  • In case of a pastoral emergency, you can leave a message on our voice mail, and we will respond as quickly as possible.
  • Please Pray – For the sick: Carole, Patti, Sandy, Kim, Joe, Steve, Bob, Linda, Francine, Timone, Donna, Ashlyn, Robin. For birthday celebrations: Emma Torres, Michelle Gardner, Erin Thomas, Assad Thompson, Patricia Burke, Kathleen Lannaman, Blake Wolliston, Phyllis Gibbs-Thomas. For those celebrating a wedding anniversary: Rudy & Pat Bernard, Victor & Jeanne Champagne, Howard & Karen Brown, Daryl & Shelby Walcher. For our expectant mothers: Dani and Andrea. For the faithful departed: The Rev. Harvey Klein.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Physician of the body and soul, You restored sight to the blind, healed the lame and cured those with leprosy. Grant, we beseech You, the necessary knowledge and perseverance to all who are working on a vaccine to quickly end the spread of COVID-19. Have mercy on those who have died, and grant comfort to all who are affected in any way and those who are living in apprehension. Give us the grace each day to trust in You and Your loving mercy. We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

https://www.facebook.com/SaintDavidsInThePines/

Second Sunday of Easter – 4/19/20- Peace Be With You.

Acts 2:14a, 22-32   This is part of the first Christian sermon of which we have any record. Peter delivered it on the streets of Jerusalem on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, which is fifty days after the Feast of the Passover at which Jesus was crucified. Notice that Peter is a brave, bold man in contrast to the fearful fellow who had denied Jesus at the time of his trial. Notice also that he is unshakably convinced that Jesus has risen from the dead.

Psalm 16     This psalm, which is in part set in the form of a prayer, is an affirmation of trust in God. The psalmist sums up his wholehearted commitment to the Lord with the words, “I have set the Lord always before me”” (v.*).

1 Peter 1:3-9               Peter is writing approximately two generations after the crucifixion-resurrection to Christians in a time of persecution; notice how central is his conviction of the Lord’s resurrection.

John 20:19-31        The earliest record of resurrection appearances is in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. These fall into two categories. The first group (to Peter and others) has a church-founding significance. The second group (to James and others) has a mission-inaugurating significance. The two appearances described in John 20 are in the first category. Jesus binds the disciples together in their conviction of his risen presence. The Holy Spirit is bestowed, and the Church as a spiritual entity begins.

Challenge Questions

  1. Try to imagine that you are among those gathered behind closed doors on Easter evening. How would you describe the atmosphere in the room? How do you think the disciples might have felt when Jesus suddenly appeared among them? Why do you think he showed them his wounds?
  2. In John 20:19, 21, and 26, Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” Why do you think he repeats this greeting? What effect do you think these words had on the disciples? How are they important to us today?
  3. What is the mission that Jesus gives to his followers in verses 21b-23, and how are they empowered for this? How are we as individuals and as the Church to fulfill this mission today? How are we enabled to do so? In particular, what does it mean that we are to forgive and retain sins?
  4. As you read the exchange between Thomas and Jesus in Verses 24-29, how would you characterize the words and actions of both Thomas and Jesus here? What do you think moves Thomas to declare that Jesus is Lord and God? What do we learn from this passage about doubt, faith, and belief?
  5. All of the readings for today proclaim the reality and implications of the Resurrection. Read the Epistle for today in 1 Peter 1:3-9 and reflect on your understanding of the implications of the Resurrection in your own life.

EASTER SUNDAY -April 12, 2020 – Video

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Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!

Enjoy our Easter Sunday video by clicking the link below via YouTube (please subscribe free).

Also available on Facebook. ave a blessed Easter Sunday morning!

Have a blessed and happy Easter Sunday this glorious day.

GOOD FRIDAY – Video – April 10, 2020

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WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – April 12th – Fr. Thomas

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We all like to receive presents, especially those in pretty wrapped boxes.  Our curiosity plays with our emotions; could the gift be a key to a new car, a book, piece of jewelry, a new garment, or gift card to a favorite restaurant.   However, what if the box were empty?  Wouldn’t we be disappointed, puzzled?  Perhaps not if we had anticipated something bad was in the box like insects or rotting food?  In this case, we’d feel relieved.

An incident was reported in a newspaper about a car which had driven off the road and into a canal.  A passing motorist noticed the car’s headlights and called 911.  The police came and ran the license tag number to find the name of the owner.  The woman who owned the vehicle turned out to be the mother of the driver who had used her car to drive to work that evening.  When she arrived at the site of the accident, she stood in horror awaiting to see the lifeless body of her son.  Finally, the car was pulled out of the water and rested on the bank, but there was no body in the car.  However, minutes later, the young man was found on the opposite side of the canal; somehow he had managed to release himself from the car and swim to safety. The ecstatic mother rejoiced in the good news.

On that Easter Sunday morning, the women rejoiced to find an empty tomb, and they ran and told all their friends the good news.  Jesus’ empty tomb is good news for us too.  Because His grave was empty, we know ours will be empty too, except for the lifeless body we leave behind when we join Him in heaven to live forever.  The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia.

NOTICES for this week

  • View Good Friday & Easter Sunday Mass – a video will be posted on the church’s website, Facebook via our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe free so that we will in the future be able to retain our site.
  • Urgent Message – Please continue to pray for an end to the COVID-19 virus and its victims and thank you for your continued financial support (check, automated bank transfers or electronic donations via com)to the life and witness our congregation in this community.
  • In case of a pastoral emergency, you can leave a message on our voice mail, and we will respond as quickly as possible. Please continue to pray for an end to the COVID-19 virus, for its victims, and for those who are working on preventative measures.

Please Pray – For the sick: Carole, Patti, Sandy, Kim, Joe, Steve, Bob, Linda, Francine, Timone, Donna, Ashlyn, Robin. For birthday celebrations: Dale Pugliese, Mike Riddle, Shirley Fenner, Gabriel Falco, Kerry Jackson, Madge Tinglin, Earl Williams. For those celebrating a wedding anniversary: David & Leila South, Walter & Georgette Dzubiak. For the faithful departed, and for our expectant mothers: Dani and Andrea.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Physician of the body and soul, You restored sight to the blind, healed the lame and cured those with leprosy. Grant, we beseech You, the necessary knowledge and perseverance to all who are working on a vaccine to quickly end the spread of COVID-19. Have mercy on those who have died, and grant comfort to all who are affected in any way and those who are living in apprehension. Give us the grace each day to trust in You and Your loving mercy. We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

https://www.facebook.com/SaintDavidsInThePines/

Easter Sunday – Resurrection – 4/12/20

Acts 10:34-43     Peter was the leader of the Twelve and the first to see the risen Lord (Lke. 24-34). Here is part of one of his early sermons, in which it is obvious that the resurrection of Christ is of crucial importance.

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24     This psalm is “a powerful testimony to the strength of faith that flows from the direct experience of the help of God”. After that introduction, there is the thanksgiving of an individual (vss. 5-21). The portion of this section which we read sounds like the thanksgiving of the risen Lord himself (vss. 18, 22). The latter part of the psalm (vss. 22-29) is the chorus of pilgrims attending the feast. Read on this day, it is an appropriate Easter hymn.

Colossians 3:1-4     The conviction that the risen Lord has conquered both sin and death, is meant to influence all that the Christian is and does.

John 20:1-18     The Easter morning account in John is, first of all, Mary Magdelene’s story. She is baffled by the empty tomb, suspecting foul play, and she is the first to see the risen Lord. Her meeting him in the garden is peculiar to John and is one of the warmest and most touching of all the resurrection appearances. Included is the enigmatic command, “Do not touch me,” and a perplexing reference to his impending ascension. There is no further allusion to the ascension in John, as there is in Luke.

Challenge Questions

  1. As you read John 20:1-18, put yourself in the place of Mary Magdelene, Peter, or the “other disciple” as they came to the tomb. What did they expect to find, and how do you think they might have felt when the tomb was empty.
  2. In verse 8, why do you think the “other disciple” believed? We are told in verse 10 that the disciples returned to their homes. How do you think they might have explained what they had just discovered to the others?
  3. The story continues in verses 11-18. As you read this section, discuss how Mary was finally able to identify the Risen Jesus.
  4. The meaning of the Resurrection for the early Church and for Peter is expressed in today’s reading from Acts 10:34-43. How would you explain the truth of the Resurrection to someone else?
  5. How do you think Mary and the other disciples were changed by their experience of the empty tomb? How is your life different because of the events of Easter morning 2000 years ago?

EASTER SUNDAY – Resurrection of our Lord

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 Resurrection of Jesus – The belief that Jesus was raised bodily from the dead by God on the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, exalting him to the near presence of God in eternal glory. The resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of Christianity (Acts 2:22-36). Christian faith would be meaningless without the resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor 15:14). The reality of Jesus’ resurrection was experienced by chosen witnesses and proclaimed by the early Christian community. Easter is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus is understood to have been raised on the Sunday following the Friday of his crucifixion. The resurrection is to be distinguished both from resuscitation (restoration to the prior mode of human existence) and the immortality of the soul. Jesus’ resurrection began the transformation and glorification of the whole cosmos, including the redeemed Christian community. Christ was raised as the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). By Christ’s resurrection, this same new mode of existence is made available to all. The Catechism notes that “By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life” (BCP, p. 850). Jesus’ resurrection is celebrated by Christians at all times, especially at Easter and throughout the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season, and on Sunday, which is the Lord’s Day and the day of resurrection.

 Easter – The feast of Christ’s resurrection. According to Bede, the word derives from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess Eostre. Christians in England applied the word to the principal festival of the church year, both day and season. 1) Easter Day is the annual feast of the resurrection, the pascha or Christian Passover, and the eighth day of cosmic creation. Faith in Jesus’ resurrection on the Sunday or third day following his crucifixion is at the heart of Christian belief. Easter sets the experience of springtime next to the ancient stories of deliverance and the proclamation of the risen Christ. In the west, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter always falls between Mar. 22 and Apr. 25 inclusive. Following Jewish custom, the feast begins at sunset on Easter Eve with the Great Vigil of Easter. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the Jewish pesach or Passover (which follows the spring full moon). Although the two dates sometimes coincide, the eastern date is often one or more weeks later. 2) Easter Season. See Great Fifty Days.

https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/resurrection-jesus

VIGIL of EASTER

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Holy Saturday – The Saturday after Good Friday, which recalls the day when the crucified Christ visited among the dead while his body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. In the Episcopal Church there is no eucharist on Holy Saturday. The BCP provides a simple liturgy of the word with collect and readings for the Holy Saturday service. The funeral anthem “In the midst of life” (BCP, pp. 484 or 492) is used instead of the prayers of the people (BCP, p. 283). In the ancient church, those preparing for baptism and perhaps others continued the fast they began on Good Friday. Holy Saturday ends at sunset. Fasting and other preparations end at sunset or with the Easter Vigil, which begins the celebration of Easter. See Triduum; see Easter Vigil.

Easter Eve – The Saturday before Easter. In the early church it was a day of fasting and preparation for the Easter Vigil. There is no celebration of the eucharist on this day, in accordance with church tradition. The term “Easter Even” was used by the 1549 Prayer Book. The 1979 BCP uses the title “Holy Saturday” for the Saturday before Easter (p. 283). The title distinguishes this day and its proper liturgy from the Easter Vigil. See Holy Saturday.

Easter Vigil – The liturgy intended as the first (and arguably, the primary) celebration of Easter in the BCP (pp. 284-95). It is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist. Through this liturgy, the BCP recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist. Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ’s dying and rising to the understanding of baptism.

Vigil – 1) A service at night prior to a major feast or other important observance. The vigil anticipates and begins the commemoration of the following day. It may allow the participants an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the next day’s service. Scripture texts that will be used at the service on the following day may be introduced at a vigil. Christian vigils have been observed since the early years of the church. The Easter Vigil dates from at least the second century, and it is described in Hippolytus’s Apostolic Tradition. The candidates for baptism spent the night in vigil, where they listened to readings and instructions. At cockcrow, the baptismal water was blessed and the candidates were baptized. The pilgrim Egeria mentions a vigil at the tomb in Jerusalem on Good Friday in the fourth century. Ancient sacramentaries provide evidence of a Pentecost vigil. The 1662 BCP lists sixteen feasts that were preceded by a vigil. Although the Easter Vigil was not retained as a vigil by the 1549 Prayer Book, the 1979 BCP includes a rite for the Great Vigil of Easter (pp. 285-295). The 1979 BCP also provides for a Vigil of Pentecost (BCP, p. 227), which resembles the Easter Vigil in a simplified form. The BCP also includes prayers for a vigil prior to burial of the dead (BCP, pp. 465-466). Psalms, lessons, and collects from the burial service may be used at this vigil. The Litany at the Time of Death may also be used. The BOS provides vigils for Christmas Eve, the Eve of the Baptism of our Lord, and the Eve of All Saints’ Day or the Sunday after All Saints’ Day. The BOS also includes a Vigil on the Eve of Baptism and a vigil Service for New Year’s Eve (Eve of Holy Name). 2) The term may also indicate a watch in the presence of the body of a deceased person prior to burial. See Wake.

 

https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/holy-saturday

 

GOOD FRIDAY

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The Friday before Easter Day, on which the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a day of fasting and special acts of discipline and self-denial. In the early church candidates for baptism, joined by others, fasted for a day or two before the Paschal feast. In the west the first of those days eventually acquired the character of historical reenactment of the passion and death of Christ. The liturgy of the day includes John’s account of the Passion gospel, a solemn form of intercession known as the solemn collects (dating from ancient Rome), and optional devotions before the cross (commonly known as the veneration of the cross). The eucharist is not celebrated in the Episcopal Church on Good Friday, but Holy Communion may be administered from the reserved sacrament at the Good Friday service. The BCP appoints readings for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer on Good Friday. See Altar of Repose; see Bidding Prayer; see Cross.

https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/good-friday

Please view the videos for Stations of the Cross.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

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The Thursday in Holy Week. It is part of the Triduum, or three holy days before Easter. It comes from the Latin mandatum novum, “new commandment,” from Jn 13:34. The ceremony of washing feet was also referred to as “the Maundy.” Maundy Thursday celebrations also commemorate the institution of the eucharist by Jesus “on the night he was betrayed.” Egeria, a fourth-century pilgrim to Jerusalem, describes elaborate celebrations and observances in that city on Maundy Thursday. Special celebration of the institution of the eucharist on Maundy Thursday is attested by the Council of Hippo in 381. The Prayer Book liturgy for Maundy Thursday provides for celebration of the eucharist and a ceremony of the washing of feet which follows the gospel and homily. There is also provision for the consecration of the bread and wine for administering Holy Communion from the reserved sacrament on Good Friday. Following this, the altar is stripped and all decorative furnishings are removed from the church. (https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/maundy-thursday).  An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church is a wealth of  valuable information.

Now for more tidbits from https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/maundy-thursday below.

The day is also known as Passion Thursday, Paschal Thursday or Sheer (or Shere) Thursday. It is the day before Good Friday and occurs during Holy Week.

Many Catholic and Anglican churches continue traditional Maundy Thursday rites that may include handing out special coins known as “Maundy money” to the aged and poor. Churches may also have the blessing of holy oil and feet washing as part of their Maundy Thursday service. Some churches have a tradition that involves priests washing the feet of 12 people to symbolize Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

Many Maundy Thursday church services take place in the evening. Maundy Thursday is known as “Green Thursday” (Gründonnerstag) in Germany, where green vegetables and salad, including spinach salad, are served as part of the tradition. Maundy Thursday is known as skjærtorsdag in Norway and is a day off for workers and students. It is known as skärtorsdagen in Sweden and is linked to a folktale about a witches’ day.

Maundy Thursday occurs during Holy Week and remembers when Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper, an event that is told in the Christian bible. It also commemorates the practice of ceremonial foot-washing to imitate Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet before the Last Supper as a sign and example of humility and love. Holy Thursday also commemorates the events that took place on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion.

A special Eucharist commemoration on the Thursday of Holy Week was first mentioned in the North African Council of Hippo’s documents around 393 CE. There have been many references to Maundy Thursday observances after that date. Maundy Thursday was also known as Shear, Char, Shrift, and Sharp Thursday. These names are believed to have derived from cutting or trimming hair or beards before Easter during the 14th century. This particular custom signified spiritual preparation for Easter.

Roman nobility practiced washing other people’s feet during the mid-19th century. This practice is no longer common in some Protestant churches but many Catholic and Anglican churches still celebrate this Maundy Thursday rite.

The name “Maundy” most likely stems from the Latin word mandatum (or mandatum novum) which relates to the English words “commandment” or “a new mandate”. It refers to Jesus’ words after he washed his disciple’s feet. He instructed them with a new commandment – to love one another as he loved them.