Maundy Thursday 2017 - Calendar-12.com Mar. 2024 28 The dates the holiday is observed are marked with a dotted line (applies to federal holidays). Date calculations are based on your computer's date and time. Maundy Thursday 2017 Tweet Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is a movable feast in the Christian calendar. It falls during Holy Week, three days before Easter and commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels. In the evening starts Easter Triduum. The feast is celebrated by different Christian denominations to commemorate the establishment of the sacraments: Priesthood and the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Put a link to this page on your blog or website Use Ctrl+C to copy the link <a href="" title="Check the date of Maundy Thursday in 2017">2017 Maundy Thursday</a> If you have found this website useful and would like to let other people know about it, simply copy the link shown above and paste to your blog post or a website. Thank you.

© Calendar-12.com 2011 — 2017 We use cookies to personalize content and ads and to provide social functions and analyze traffic on our site. By continuing using our site, you accept our cookie policy and consent to the use of cookies. Read more Maundy Thursday and “Holy Week” | Grace Communion International Ways to Give Maundy Thursday and “Holy Week” The calendar or weekly bulletin published by your local congregation might have said the following for Thursday, April 5, 2012: Maundy Thursday: This evening we will have a Communion service with optional footwashing. Services will begin at 7:00 p.m. Please bring your own towel and water pan. This is our annual commemoration of the Last Supper that Jesus Christ had with his disciples. In this service, we along with Christians everywhere remember the meaning of Jesus’ love and his death for our sins. Christians who are not familiar with the word “Maundy” might wonder what this means. “Why is ‘Monday’ a Thursday?” someone might ask.

Some people mispronounce or misspell “Maundy” as Maunday.” To others, “Maundy” sounds like the gloomy word “maudlin,” as in, “He seems very blue and maudlin today.” Day of the Lord’s Supper For another article on this topic, see Footwashing: A Tradition of Service. Yet, Maundy Thursday evening is a time when Christians partake of bread and wine (the “cup” or “fruit of the vine” as stated in Matthew 26:27, 29). The service is a commemoration of the Last Supper, the oldest and most important Christian commemorative service. Jesus, by his example, instituted the practice of the bread and cup for his disciples during the evening meal with them on the night he was arrested. Christians call the taking of these elements by the terms “Lord’s Supper,” “Communion” or the “Eucharist” (from the Greek, eucharistoun, meaning “thanksgiving”).

Here is the account of Jesus creating a practice for his disciples and the people of God, his church: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” [Matthew 26:26-28] Luke 22:19 adds Jesus’ statement to the disciples that they should “do this in remembrance” of him. The church did follow Jesus’ example from the beginning, and Christians through the centuries have taken Communion often. It is thought that groups in the earliest church “broke bread” in Communion quite regularly, at least weekly, and in some situations on a daily basis as they ate together.

(See Acts 2:42-47, especially verse 46, which describes the fellowship of the earliest believers in Jerusalem.) The apostle Paul gives us the first written account that we have of the church keeping the Lord’s Supper service: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] Note that the Lord’s Supper service is a remembrance of Jesus’ saving work – a proclamation of his death throughout the history of the church until Jesus’ coming in glory. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around A.D.

55, so we see the congregation observing Communion about two decades after Jesus’ death, though the practice was evident from the beginning of the church from the Pentecost after Jesus’ death, resurrection and Ascension. Christians were celebrating the Lord’s Supper or Communion on a regular basis throughout the year. “Holy Week” festivities described In addition to this, the desire naturally grew among Christians to have a special worship season in the spring to coincide as closely as possible with the time in the year when Jesus offered the bread and wine to his disciples – and when he was betrayed, crucified, buried and resurrected. After all, these were among the most important saving events that God had brought to pass through his Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We saw that the apostle Paul described the church’s regular Communion services in memory of Jesus’ death in 1 Corinthians.

In the same book he also explained that this event was one of the foundational facts and events of salvation history, tied closely to Jesus’ resurrection: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. [1 Corinthians 15:3-5] The Christian church went beyond the simple “breaking of bread” in Communion in its desire to commemorate that which was “of first importance” in Christ in the history of salvation – the Incarnation and birth of Jesus, his coming, his death, resurrection and Ascension. Advent and Christmas, of course, celebrate the Incarnation, birth and coming of Jesus. The Christian church in its desire to worship Jesus and to recall the great saving events in his Person thus formed a tradition of having “Holy Week” services in the spring to commemorate the events surrounding his death and resurrection. To one degree or another, the church has participated in such worship opportunities throughout most of its history.

This week of worship begins with Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem amidst a huge demonstration of support by the common people. They erroneously thought he was going to declare himself a Messiah in the tradition of the conquering Maccabees, who had once temporarily restored the glory of the Jewish nation, until it was conquered by the Romans in 63 B.C. Far from being a “triumphant” entry, however, the fanfare on Palm Sunday was the epitome of irony. Those who supported Jesus so openly and vocally would quietly forsake him five days later when he hung on the cross. “Holy Week” festivities continue on through the week, culminating in Maundy Thursday, Good Friday[1] and a quiet Saturday, which represents Jesus’ resting in the tomb. “Holy Week” then takes us to Easter Sunday, the great festival of Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday morning, often commemorated in a “sunrise service.” In our day, generally only Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are times of special observance in most churches, and this culminates in Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Perhaps you know of someone who'd like to hear about this article.

If so, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Email this page." Fill out the form, and share the good news! There's also a way to share the page on Facebook, Twitter, and other websites. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Other popular articles Copyright Grace Communion International. All rights reserved. Whether anything approaching our Holy Week celebrations existed in the early church, we do not know. We do know, however, that they existed in the church in Jerusalem in the fourth century. The Pilgrimage of Aetheria contains a detailed account of the Christian festivities during the entire time span of Holy Week. Events calendar Here’s a summary of traditional Christian worship during Holy Week, and the events in Jesus’ life that are memorialized: Palm Sunday: Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt (Matthew 21:1-11). He is accompanied by crowds of people who create a path for him with their cloaks and branches cut from trees.

Monday: Jesus drives the money changers from the temple and spends the night in Bethany (Matthew 21:12-17). Tuesday and Wednesday: Jesus continues to teach in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:18-26:16). The chief priests and Jewish religious elders form a plot “to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him” (26:1-5). Judas agrees to be a conspirator and to hand Jesus over to them (26:14-16). Thursday: Jesus has his last meal during his earthly ministry with the disciples. He washes the disciples’ feet and institutes the Lord’s Supper or Communion. After teaching and encouraging them, he goes to Gethsemane, where he prays in anguish. He is arrested by the Jewish temple police and is taken to the Sanhedrin, where he is condemned (Matthew 26:17-75). Good Friday: Jesus is shuttled between Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas. Pilate finally orders Jesus to be beaten and then crucified. Jesus dies in the late afternoon on Friday.

Around sunset, Jesus is buried in the tomb (Matthew 27:1-61). Saturday: Jesus rests in the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66). Easter[2] Sunday: Jesus is resurrected (Matthew 28:1-15). Time issues raised Some might point to a difficulty in the above chronology. The account in the three synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke – implies, at least on the surface, that Jesus ate his last meal on the Jewish day of Passover. (See Matthew 26:17, for example.) However, John in his Gospel seems to say Jesus ate the supper one day earlier than the Jews ate the Passover meal (John 18:28). Also, Christians who interpret Matthew 12:40 in a strictly literal manner – as 72 hours or three full days – insist that there is not enough time in the Christian Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition for Jesus to have spent the prescribed time in the tomb.

To refresh our memory, here is what Matthew tells us that Jesus said about his burial: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Most Christians throughout the history of the church have relied on the other 20-plus New Testament references mentioning the length of Jesus’ burial, which allow for his time in the tomb to be much shorter, and hence, to fit into the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition. In any case, we need not quibble about these issues of chronology. There is no New Testament command that Christians must have their celebrations on some specific “holy” day, or that such festivities must coincide, time-wise, exactly with the events they memorialize. Holy Week[3]celebrations are not like the Old Testament annual festivals, which God commanded Israel to observe on specific days of the Hebrew calendar. We aren’t obligated to solve these puzzles of chronology in order to worship in the way we do on Maundy Thursday and the rest of Holy Week, that is, to celebrate and participate in the love, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Minor questions about time should not distract us and take our attention away from the real focus of our worship during this time – the saving work of Jesus Christ and our participation in his merciful grace towards us. Another issue some raise is whether Christians are allowed to set up their own seasons or days of worship. Some Christians, taking their cue from ancient Israel’s worship system, conclude that we should not be having any remembrance that isn’t specifically commanded by God in the New Testament. As mentioned above, Israel under the old covenant was given seven annual worship festivals to fall on set days of the year that had to be strictly adhered to. However, as Christians we do have the freedom to set aside special times of worship and remembrance. This is evident by example even in ancient Israel’s worship, in that they added Hanukkah and Purim to the nation’s festival calendar. These days commemorated events that celebrated God’s saving acts in Jewish history. Such worship was acceptable to God, and even though the days were not mandated by Scripture, Jesus participated in them (John 10:22).

These examples have led Christians to conclude that the church also has the freedom to add to its religious calendar festivals that celebrate God’s intervention in human affairs in bringing us salvation through the saving acts of Jesus. Further, the Communion Christians participate in on Maundy Thursday does reflect Jesus’ command to take the symbols of the bread and wine in remembrance of him “until he comes.” In all our Christian worship between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, the Maundy Thursday Communion is the one celebration that rises to the status of sacrament, precisely because Jesus instituted it. The celebration is also the oldest in the Christian tradition as it goes back to the beginning of the church. Meaning of “Maundy” That being so, why is the day of Jesus’ final supper and his institution of the bread and wine service called “Maundy Thursday”? Why not “Last Supper Thursday,” “Lord’s Supper Thursday” or “Communion Thursday,” to give three examples of possible substitute titles? No doubt, some other name might be more descriptive and meaningful in our modern age, but once we understand what “Maundy” signifies, we’ll see that it is an apt term to use for our celebration.

In fact, Maundy Thursday is more than just about Communion, though that is certainly the important event. The word “Maundy” is generally thought to refer to the word “commandment” in Jesus’ command for his disciples to love each other. That being so, the word “Maundy” tells us why it is possible for us to partake of Jesus’ death and life; it is through the love God has for us. The name of the Thursday of Holy Week – Maundy – is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or command. Hence, the English word “mandate,” or commandment. The idea in “Maundy” is based on the command Jesus gave his disciples at the last evening meal of his earthly ministry, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). In Latin “a new commandment I give you” is Mandatum novum do vobis.

And that is why the celebration day is called “Maundy Thursday” – or “Holy Thursday,” as it is known outside English-speaking nations. Footwashing, included in some Maundy Thursday services, is simply one illustration of how Christians are to love and humbly serve one another. It is because God loved us in his freedom that he came in Jesus to save us through his death and resurrection. We read in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God, because of his love, sent his Son to save the world through him. Jesus’ death is the ultimate expression of this love. Jesus also said: “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command” (John 15:13). Here, again, is command – mandatum – Maundy. Both the bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus given for us, and his washing of the disciples’ feet are acts of love in service to others.

It is love that lies behind the acts that Jesus performed during Holy Week – the love of God – for us. And Jesus’ command to us is to love God above all and to love each other as he loved us (John 15:12). Thus “Maundy Thursday,” or to say it in modern English – “Love Command Thursday” – is a perfectly appropriate term to use in summarizing what should be our response to the love and grace of Jesus in his death for our sinfulness. Additional reading Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, by Laurence Hull Stookey (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1996. Stookey discusses the theological meaning of the Christian liturgical calendar. He explains how we can benefit from understanding the purpose and themes behind our celebration of the great events of salvation history in Christ. [1] Why do we call the day “Good Friday,” when that is the day on which Jesus suffered?

The reason the phrase seems to be a problem is because, “Emphasis has been on the seemingly senseless human suffering of Jesus rather than on the purposeful humiliation of God through which redemption comes,” says Laurence Hull Stookey on page 96 of Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church. “In other words,” Stookey continues, “we have failed once again to read the sacred story backward. Friday has been observed as if Sunday had never come.” [2] Many Christians do not know that Easter, in addition to being a day, is also a memorial season of 50 days, culminating in the Christian Pentecost, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit and the church began. “Easter” is an unfortunate term because it has no known direct Christian meaning, unless it derives from an Old German root, ostern, for dawn or east, which is the time and place of the rising sun. Thus it would demonstrate a connection to Jesus’ resurrection before dawn on Sunday. Among Western languages, only English and German have not preserved some form of “Pasch” as their word for Resurrection Sunday.

Paul refers to Jesus as our “paschal lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7, so that the word at least has a direct and known connection with Jesus. [3] In this context, we should understand that the term “Holy Week” does not imply that there is some inherent holiness in the period of time during which Christians celebrate the events of salvation in the spring, as though God commands us to set aside these days for worship. Holy Week is a “holy” week only in that Christians have chosen to recall a number of saving events in the life of Jesus during this time of the year, by setting the days aside for special worship. Maundy Thursday in the United States Home Calendar Holidays the United States Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday in the United States Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is a Christian observance in the United States. It is the day before Good Friday and takes place during Holy Week. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s last supper and the initiation of Holy Communion (the Eucharist), observed in many Christian churches. Maundy Thursday church services include the rite of Communion. Maundy Thursday church services include the rite of Communion.

©iStockphoto.com/Wojtek Kryczka What Do People Do? Many Holy Thursday services, particularly in the Catholic churches, are held in the evenings and offer Communion (or Eucharist) to the congregation. Some priests or ministers wash parishioners’ feet in memory of the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Holy oils are blessed to symbolize that the sacraments have their source in Jesus Christ, according to Christian belief. Hymns such as the Pange Lingua, Gloria, or Ubi Caritas, are usually sung in some church services during this time of the year. Some churches offer a pot luck supper for congregation members after the Holy Thursday service. If donations are collected from the suppers, they usually go towards charitable causes. Holy Thursday serves as a time for some Christians to donate money to the poor. Some people also prepare a meal that includes roast lamb, bitter herbs and wine around this time of the year. Public Life Maundy Thursday is not a public holiday in the United States so schools, government offices and businesses are open. Public transport providers run to their usual schedules.

Background Holy Thursday, or Maundy Thursday, commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, a Christian sacrament that involves consecrating (or making holy) bread and wine. The term “Maundy” derives from the Latin word for “commandment”. The New Testament in the bible describes events that took place on Holy Thursday. These events include Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and the Last Supper before he was arrested. Many Maundy Thursday church traditions come from practices that took place in Europe for many centuries. The Days of Holy Week The Days of Holy Week Dennis Bratcher Holy Saturday Holy Week is the last week of Lent , the week immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many Christian churches as a time to commemorate and enact the suffering (Passion) and death of Jesus through various observances and services of worship. While some church traditions focus specifically on the events of the last week of Jesus’ life, many of the liturgies symbolize larger themes that marked Jesus’ entire ministry. Observances during this week range from daily liturgical services in churches to informal meetings in homes to participate in a Christian version of the Passover Seder .

In Catholic tradition, the conclusion to the week is called the Easter Triduum (a triduum is a space of three days usually accompanying a church festival or holy days that are devoted to special prayer and observance). Some liturgical traditions, such as Lutherans, simply refer to "The Three Days." The Easter Triduum begins Thursday evening of Holy Week with Eucharist and concludes with evening prayers Easter Sunday. Increasingly, evangelical churches that have tended to look with suspicion on traditional "High-Church" observances of Holy Week are now realizing the value of Holy Week services, especially on Good Friday (see Low Church and High Church ). This has a solid theological basis both in Scripture and in the traditions of the Faith.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was executed by the Nazis, wrote of the Cost of Discipleship and warned of "cheap grace" that did not take seriously either the gravity of sin or the radical call to servanthood: "When Jesus bids a man come, he bids him come and die." It is this dimension that is well served by Holy Week observances, as they call us to move behind the joyful celebrations of Palm Sunday and Easter, and focus on the suffering, humiliation, and death that is part of Holy Week. It is important to place the hope of the Resurrection, the promise of newness and life, against the background of death and endings. It is only in walking through the shadows and darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday, only in realizing the horror and magnitude of sin and its consequences in the world incarnated in the dying Jesus on the cross, only in contemplating the ending and despair that the disciples felt on Holy Saturday, that we can truly understand the light and hope of Sunday morning! In observing this truth, that new beginnings come from endings, many people are able to draw a parable of their own lives and faith journey from the observances of Holy Week.

In providing people with the opportunity to experience this truth in liturgy and symbol, the services become a powerful proclamation of the transformative power of the Gospel, and God at work in the lives of people. The entire week between Palm Sunday and Holy Saturday is included in Holy Week, and some church traditions have daily services during the week. However, usually only Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday are times of special observance in most churches. Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday) Holy Week begins with the sixth Sunday in Lent. This Sunday observes the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that was marked by the crowds who were in Jerusalem for Passover waving palm branches and proclaiming him as the messianic king. The Gospels tell us that Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, enacting the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, and in so doing emphasized the humility that was to characterize the Kingdom he proclaimed. The irony of his acceptance as the new Davidic King (Mark 11:10) by the crowds who would only five days later cry for his execution should be a sobering reminder of the human tendency to want God on our own terms.

Traditionally, worshippers enact the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem by the waving of palm branches and singing songs of celebration. Sometimes this is accompanied by a processional into the church. In many churches, children are an integral part of this service since they enjoy processions and activity as a part of worship. This provides a good opportunity to involve them in the worship life of the community of Faith. In many more liturgical churches, children are encouraged to craft palm leaves that were used for the Sunday processional into crosses to help make the connection between the celebration of Palm Sunday and the impending events of Holy Week. This Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday to commemorate the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross. The English word passion comes from a Latin word that means "to suffer," the same word from which we derive the English word patient. In most Protestant traditions, the liturgical color for The Season of Lent is purple, and that color is used until Easter Sunday. In Catholic tradition (and some others), the colors are changed to Red for Palm Sunday. Red is the color of the church, used for Pentecost as well as remembering the martyrs of the church.

Since it symbolizes shed blood, it is also used on Palm Sunday to symbolize the death of Jesus. While most Protestants celebrate the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday, in Catholic and other church traditions it is also celebrated as Passion Sunday anticipating the impending death of Jesus. In some Church traditions (Anglican), the church colors are changed to red for the fifth Sunday in Lent, with the last two Sundays in Lent observed as Passiontide. Increasingly, many churches are incorporating an emphasis on the Passion of Jesus into services on Palm Sunday as a way to balance the celebration of Easter Sunday. Rather than having the two Sundays both focus on triumph, Passion Sunday is presented as a time to reflect on the suffering and death of Jesus in a Sunday service of worship. This provides an opportunity for people who do not or cannot attend a Good Friday Service to experience the contrast of Jesus’ death and the Resurrection, rather than celebrating the Resurrection in isolation from Jesus’ suffering.

However, since Sunday services are always celebrations of the Resurrection of Jesus during the entire year, even an emphasis on the Passion of Jesus on this Sunday should not be mournful or end on a negative note, as do most Good Friday Services (which is the reason Eucharist or Communion is not normally celebrated on Good Friday). Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday There are a variety of events that are clustered on this last day before Jesus was arrested that are commemorated in various ways in services of worship. These include the last meal together, which was probably a Passover meal, the institution of Eucharist or Communion, the betrayal by Judas (because of the exchange with Jesus at the meal), and Jesus praying in Gethsemane while the disciples fell asleep. Most liturgies, however, focus on the meal and communion as a way to commemorate this day. During the last few days, Jesus and His disciples had steadily journeyed from Galilee toward Jerusalem. On the sunlight hillsides of Galilee, Jesus was popular, the crowds were friendly and the future was bright. Even his entry into Jerusalem had been marked by a joyous welcome.

But in Jerusalem there was a growing darkness as the crowds began to draw back from the man who spoke of commitment and servanthood. There was an ominous tone in the murmuring of the Sadducees and Pharisees who were threatened by the new future Jesus proclaimed. Even as Jesus and his disciples came together to share this meal, they already stood in the shadow of the cross. It was later that night, after the meal, as Jesus and His disciples were praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, that Jesus was arrested and taken to the house of Caiaphas the High Priest. On Friday He would die. There is some difference in the chronology of these events between the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and John’s account (see Synoptic Problem ). In the Synoptics, this last meal was a Passover meal, observing the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt when death "passed over" the Hebrew homes as the tenth plague fell upon the Egyptians. Yet, in John’s account the Passover would not be celebrated until the next day.

And while the Synoptics recount the institution of Communion (Eucharist) during this final meal, John instead tells us about Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet as a sign of servanthood. In any case, this Thursday of Holy Week is remembered as the time Jesus ate a final meal together with the men who had followed him for so long. We do not have to solve these historical questions to remember and celebrate in worship what Jesus did and taught and modeled for us here, what God was doing in Jesus the Christ. And the questions should not shift our attention from the real focus of the story: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally in the Christian Church, this day is known as Maundy Thursday. The term Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (from which we get our English word mandate), from a verb that means "to give," "to entrust," or "to order." The term is usually translated "commandment," from John's account of this Thursday night. According to the Fourth Gospel, as Jesus and the Disciples were eating their final meal together before Jesus’ arrest, he washed the disciples' feet to illustrate humility and the spirit of servanthood.

After they had finished the meal, as they walked into the night toward Gethsemane, Jesus taught his disciples a "new" commandment that was not really new (John 13:34-35): A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, you also ought to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. The colors for Maundy Thursday are usually the colors of Lent, royal purple or red violet. Some traditions, however, use red for Maundy Thursday, the color of the church, in order to identify with the community of disciples that followed Jesus. Along the same line, some use this day to honor the apostles who were commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world. The sharing of the Eucharist, or sacrament of thanksgiving, on Maundy Thursday is the means by which most Christians observe this day. There is a great variety in exactly how the service is conducted, however. In some churches, it is traditional for the pastor or priest to wash the feet of members of the congregation as part of the service (John 13:3-15).

Increasingly, churches are observing some form of the Passover Seder as a setting for the Eucharist of Maundy Thursday (see Introduction to a Christian Seder and Haggadah for a Christian Seder ). Some churches simply have a "pot-luck" dinner together concluded with a short time of singing and communion. In some church traditions all of the altar coverings and decorations are removed after the Eucharist is celebrated on Maundy Thursday. Psalm 22 is sometimes either read or sung while the altar paraments are being removed. Since the altar in these traditions symbolize the Christ, the "stripping of the altar" symbolizes the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples and the stripping of Jesus by the soldiers prior to his crucifixion. This, like the darkness often incorporated into a Good Friday service, represents the humiliation of Jesus and the consequences of sin as a preparation for the celebration of new life and hope that is to come on Resurrection Day. Some churches only leave the altar bare until the Good Friday Service, when the normal coverings are replaced with black. However it is celebrated, the Eucharist of Maundy Thursday is especially tied to the theme of remembering.

As Jesus and his disciples followed the instructions in the Torah to remember God’s acts of deliverance in their history as they shared the Passover meal together, so Jesus calls us to remember the new act of deliverance in our history that unfolds on these last days of Holy week (see Remember! A Service of Communion ). Good Friday, or Holy Friday Friday of Holy Week has been traditionally been called Good Friday or Holy Friday. On this day, the church commemorates Jesus’ arrest (since by Jewish customs of counting days from sundown to sundown it was already Friday), his trial, crucifixion and suffering, death, and burial. Since services on this day are to observe Jesus’ death, and since Eucharist is a celebration, there is traditionally no Communion observed on Good Friday. Also, depending on how the services are conducted on this day, all pictures, statutes, and the cross are covered in mourning black, the chancel and altar coverings are replaced with black, and altar candles are extinguished. They are left this way through Saturday, but are always replaced with white before sunrise on Sunday.

There are a variety of services of worship for Good Friday, all aimed at allowing worshippers to experience some sense of the pain, humiliation, and ending in the journey to the cross. The traditional Catholic service for Good Friday was held in mid-afternoon to correspond to the final words of Jesus from the cross (around 3 PM, Matt 27:46-50). However, modern schedules have led many churches to move the service to the evening to allow more people to participate. Usually, a Good Friday service is a series of Scripture readings, a short homily, and a time of meditation and prayer. One traditional use of Scripture is to base the homily or devotional on the Seven Last Words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel traditions. Father, forgive them . . . (Luke 23:34) This day you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43) Woman, behold your son . . .(John 19:26-27) My God, my God . . . (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34) I thirst. (John 19:28) It is finished!

(John 19:30) Father into your hands . . . (Luke 23:46) Some churches use the Stations of the Cross as part of the Good Friday Service. This service uses paintings or banners to represent various scenes from Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, and death, and the worshippers move to the various stations to sing hymns or pray as the story is told . There is a great variety in how this service is conducted, and various traditions use different numbers of stations to tell the story (see The Fourteen Stations of the Cross ). Another common service for Good Friday is Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness"). Sometimes this term is applied generally to all church services on the last three days of Holy week. More specifically, however, it is used of the Service of Darkness or Service of Shadows, usually held in the evening of Good Friday. Again, there are varieties of this service, but it is usually characterized by a series of Scripture readings and meditation done in stages while lights and/or candles are gradually extinguished to symbolize the growing darkness not only of Jesus’ death but of hopelessness in the world without God.

The service ends in darkness, sometimes with a final candle, the Christ candle, carried out of the sanctuary, symbolizing the death of Jesus. Often the service concludes with a loud noise symbolizing the closing of Jesus’ tomb (see The Empty Tomb ). The worshippers then leave in silence to wait. Some churches do observe communion on Good Friday. However, traditionally Eucharist is not served on Good Friday since it is a celebration of thanksgiving. Good Friday is not a day of celebration but of mourning, both for the death of Jesus and for the sins of the world that his death represents. Yet, although Friday is a solemn time, it is not without its own joy. For while it is important to place the Resurrection against the darkness of Good Friday, likewise the somberness of Good Friday should always be seen with the hope of Resurrection Sunday. Still, Good Friday observances should not yet move into celebration. (For an example of a homily that focuses on the dimension of mourning and loss, see The Death of Hope: Good Figs and Good Friday .) Holy Saturday This is the seventh day of the week, the day Jesus rested in the tomb.

In the first three Gospel accounts this was the Jewish Sabbath, which provided appropriate symbolism of the seventh day rest. While some church traditions continue daily services on Saturday, there is no communion served on this day. Some traditions suspend services and Scripture readings during the day on Saturday, to be resumed at the Easter Vigil after sundown Saturday. It is traditionally a day of quiet meditation as Christians contemplate the darkness of a world without a future and without hope apart from God and his grace. It is also a time to remember family and the faithful who have died as we await the resurrection, or to honor the martyrs who have given their lives for the cause of Christ in the world. While Good Friday is a traditional day of fasting, some also fast on Saturday as the climax of the season of Lent . An ancient tradition dating to the first centuries of the church calls for no food of any kind to be eaten on Holy Saturday, or for 40 hours before sunrise on Sunday. However it is observed, Holy Saturday has traditionally been a time of reflection and waiting, the time of weeping that lasts for the night while awaiting the joy that comes in the morning (Psa 30:5).

-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright © 2015, Dennis Bratcher - All Rights Reserved Holy Week | Article about Holy Week by The Free Dictionary Holy Week | Article about Holy Week by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Holy Week, week before Easter Easter [A.S. Eastre, name of a spring goddess], chief Christian feast, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. In the West, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the full moon next after the vernal equinox (see calendar); thus, it falls ..... Click the link for more information. . Its chief days are named Palm Sunday Palm Sunday, in the Christian calendar, the Sunday before Easter, sixth and last Sunday in Lent, and the first day of Holy Week. It recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, when his followers shouted "Hosanna" and scattered palms in his path. ..... Click the link for more information. , Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday [Lat.

mandatum, word in the ceremony], traditional English name for Thursday of Holy Week, so named because it is considered the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper (that is, the mandatum novum ..... Click the link for more information. , Good Friday Good Friday, anniversary of Jesus' death on the cross. According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter Day. Since the early church Good Friday has been observed by fasting and penance. ..... Click the link for more information. , and Holy Saturday. In Christian life it is a week of devout observance, commemorating the Passion and Jesus' death on the cross. The liturgies have special features and services, e.g., Tenebrae Tenebrae [Lat.,=darkness], in the Roman Catholic Church, ceremony performed on the Wednesday and following evenings of Holy Week. As the choir chants, a number of candles set on a hearse (a kind of candelabrum) are extinguished one by one until only one remains. ..... Click the link for more information. . In the Roman Catholic Church these rise to a climax with the vigil of the Resurrection on the evening of Holy Saturday.

At this time the paschal candle candle, cylinder of wax or tallow containing a wick, used for illumination or for ceremonial purposes. The evidence of ancient writings is not conclusive as to the history of the candle; words translated "candle" may have meant "torch" or "lamp," and the "candlestick" was ..... Click the link for more information. is blessed with the hymn Exsultet, and Lent, with its fast, ends at midnight. Holy Week Great Week, Holy and Great Week, Laborious Week, Palm Week, Paschal Week, Passion Week, Six Days of Pascha, Week of Lamentation, Week of Passion, Week of Remission, Week of Salvation Holy Week falls the week before Easter. It lasts from Palm Sunday, the Sunday preceding Easter, to the following Saturday, known as Holy Saturday. During these seven days Christians commemorate the Passion, that is, the events that took place during the last days of Jesus' life. In those Christian denominations with strong liturgical traditions this week brings together some of the most thematically important services of the year. These services prepare worshipers to celebrate the most important festival of the year, Easter.

In Roman Catholic churches, as well as in those Protestant churches that observe liturgical colors, priests wear red robes during Holy Week services. The color red symbolizes love and suffering, such as that displayed by Jesus in the Passion story. History The first historical reference to any kind of observance of Holy Week dates back to the third century. An old document from this era records the fact that certain Christian communities prepared for Easter by fasting during the week that preceded it. From the Monday after Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday they ate only bread, salt, and water. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, they abstained entirely from food, spending most of the day praying and reading the Bible. By the fourth century historical evidence points to a more widespread observance of Holy Week. Around the year 380 a Spanish nun named Egeria made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and recorded her experiences in her diary. Her writings tells us that by the late fourth century Jerusalem Christians had begun to observe Holy Week by commemorating the events that transpired during the last week of Jesus' life. In this way they attempted to relive the events leading up to Jesus'death as a preparation for celebrating his resurrection. On Palm Sunday they recalled Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

On the following Wednesday church services reminded the faithful of Judas' arrangement with the religious authorities to betray Jesus (see also Spy Wednesday). On the next day, Maundy Thursday, various religious observances commemorated the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Good Friday was devoted to the remembrance of the Crucifixion (for more on crucifixion, see Cross). A late-night Easter Vigil service commemorating the Resurrection took place on Holy Saturday. Although Egeria tells us little about the Jerusalem vigil service, other sources confirm that by the late fourth century the baptism of new Christians had already become an important element of this service. Today's Holy Week observances commemorate the same events on the same days. Thus, by the end of the fourth century the outlines of Holy Week as we know it today were already in place. Although for many years most scholars assumed that Holy Week celebrations evolved in Jerusalem, some now think that certain observances were imported from elsewhere. These scholars suspect that Christian communities in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, the capital of Turkey), and Alexandria, Egypt, were the first to celebrate Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday. They argue that pilgrims from these communities imported these festivals to Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem community eventually adopted and combined them with services occurring during the latter part of Holy Week, giving rise to the sequence of rites that are familiar to us today. In ancient times Holy Week observances varied from place to place. This variation continued into the Middle Ages, although the passing of time gradually brought with it increasing uniformity. It also inspired the invention of new devotional practices, such as footwashing on Maundy Thursday, and new folk customs, such as the baking and eating of hot cross buns on Good Friday. Over time certain ancient traditions disappeared in many places as well, including the pardoning of prisoners, a custom once practiced by some medieval monarchs. In spite of these additions and occasional subtractions, the religious themes associated with the days of Holy Week have remained fairly stable since early Christian times. Orthodox Services Orthodox Holy Week services differ slightly from those of Western Christians, that is, Roman Catholics and Protestants. Orthodoxy is one of the three main branches of the Christian faith. Orthodox Christianity developed in eastern Europe and the countries surrounding the eastern half of the Mediterranean Sea.

Most members of this ancient faith tradition still hail from these eastern countries, although nowadays Orthodox Christian communities can also be found in the West and include members from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. Orthodox Christians follow a different church calendar than that commonly adhered to by Western Christians (see also Easter, Date of). Therefore Orthodox and Western Christians often celebrate Holy Week at different times. During the first half of Holy Week Orthodox church services emphasize the theme of judgment and the Second Coming of Christ. Western Christians meditate on these concepts during Advent, the fourweek season of the church year that precedes Christmas. In Orthodox churches, vespers (evening) services during the first three days of Holy Week advise worshipers to live each day according to God's teachings since no one knows when judgment, or Christ, will come. These ceremonies are known as the "bridegroom services" in reference to the parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13), a Bible passage featured in these services. Scholars of Orthodoxy trace this thematic development back to the ancient Christian belief that the Second Coming of Christ would occur at Easter time, most probably during the vigil service.

Names Over the centuries Holy Week acquired a variety of names. In early Christian times some called it the "six days of Pascha," others called it the "Paschal Week," and still others "Great Week" or the "Week of Passion." Another old name for the observance, the "Week of Remission," referred to the ancient Maundy Thursday rite of conferring forgiveness on those undergoing public penance for their sins (for more on penance, see Repentance). Laborious Week, a reference to the fasting and other religious disciplines practiced during this period, constituted yet another old name for the festival. In medieval England it was known as "Palm Week" and, later, "Passion Week." The Germans dubbed this period of time Karwoche, or "Week of Lamentation." Spanish, French, and Italian speakers know this seven-day period as "Holy Week," a name also popular in the United States.

Orthodox Christians favor "Great Week," "Holy and Great Week," or the "Week of Salvation." For more on Holy Week customs and observances, see also Alleluia; Baptism; Bells; Cross; Epitaphios; Easter Fires; Easter Vigil; Fasting; Footwashing; Descent into Hell; Holy Sepulchre; Hot Cross Buns; Judas, Burning of; Mary, Blessed Virgin; Mary Magdalene; Palm; Passion Play; Penitentes; Peter; Pilate, Pontius; Royal Hours; Stations of the Cross; Tenebrae; Three Hours; Triduum; Veiling; Veneration of the Cross; Veronica Further Reading Bradshaw, Paul F. The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. Davies, J. G. "The Origins of Holy Week and Its Development in the Middle Ages." In C. P. M. Jones, ed. A Manual for Holy Week. London, England: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1967. "Holy Week." In E. A. Livingstone, ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Third edition.

Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1997. Monti, James. The Week of Salvation. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publications, 1993. O'Shea, W. J. "Holy Week." In New Catholic Encyclopedia. Volume 7. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. Pierce, Joanne M. "Holy Week and Easter in the Middle Ages." In Paul F. Bradshaw and Lawrence A. Hoffman, eds. Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times. Two Liturgical Traditions series, volume 5. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1999. Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1986. Wybrew, Hugh. Orthodox Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997.

Holy Week Between March 15 and April 18 in the West and between March 28 and May 1 in the East; the week preceding Easter Holy Week, the seven days beginning with Palm Sunday that precede Easter, is the most solemn week in the Christian year. It includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. The Germans call Holy Week Still Week or Silent Week, and some Americans call it Passion Week, although the season known as Passiontide actually refers to the preceding week. Passion Sunday or Carling Sunday is the fifth Sunday in Lent (the Sunday before Palm Sunday), but since Holy Week was also referred to as Passion Week, this apparently led to the identification of Palm Sunday with Passion Sunday. Since 1970 the Roman Catholic Church has considered the two names to be synonymous, although in 1956 the two Sundays were designated the First Sunday and Second Sunday of the Passion. Another name for the fifth Sunday in Lent is Judica Sunday, from the Introit for the day. See also Prisoners, Feast of the; Semana Santa in Guatemala CONTACTS: What Do Christians Celebrate on Maundy Thursday? What Do Christians Celebrate on Maundy Thursday?

Foot-washing ceremonies are often a part of Maundy Thursday services. Chris Hondros / Getty Images By Mary Fairchild Updated May 02, 2016. Maundy Thursday is observed during Holy Week on the Thursday before Easter . Also referred to as " Holy Thursday " or "Great Thursday" in some Christian denominations , Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was crucified. In contrast to joyful Easter celebrations when Christians worship their resurrected Savior, Maundy Thursday services are typically more solemn occasions, marked by the shadow of Jesus' betrayal. While different denominations observe Maundy Thursday in their own distinct ways, two important biblical events are the primary focus of Maundy Thursday solemnizations: Before the Passover meal , Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By performing this lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus "showed them the full extent of his love." By his example, Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service. For this reason, many churches practice foot-washing ceremonies as a part of their Maundy Thursday services.

During the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and wine and asked his Father to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Then he took the cup of wine, shared it with his disciples and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you--an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you." These events recorded in Luke 22:19-20 describe the Last Supper and form the biblical basis for the practice of Communion . For this reason, many churches hold special Communion services as a part of their Maundy Thursday celebrations. Likewise, many congregations observe a traditional Passover Seder meal. What Does "Maundy" Mean? Derived from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment," Maundy refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper : to love with humility by serving one another and to remember his sacrifice. When is Maundy Thursday This Year? Visit the Easter Calendar .

An Introduction to Holy Week: Maundy Thursday | The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion Search for: An Introduction to Holy Week: Maundy Thursday A week from today at Holy Communion, and in churches around the world, we will be starting a series of three services over three days that mark Holy Week. In Latin these three days are called the “Triduum” (which simply means “the three days”). These final days of Holy Week are the most sacred in the Christian calendar. This week before Holy Week I will be posting a simple meditation about each service, and how we remember the Jesus in the Triduum. Maundy Thursday starts the cycle. On Thursday evening of Holy Week, the church community gathers to remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. We call to mind the night that we remember week in and week out in the Eucharist, and Jesus’ words about the bread and wine: “this is my body, and this is my blood.” The word “maundy” in old English means “Mandate” or “command.” There are actually two commands on Maunday Thursday, and they are connected.

The first command is the Eucharist: “Do this” Jesus says, “in rememberance of me.” In his classic work on Communion, “The Shape of the Liturgy” the Anglican Theologian Gregory Dix wrote: “Was ever another command so obeyed? For century after century, spreading slowly to every continent and every country and among every race on earth, this action has been done, in every conceivable human circumstance…[people] have found no better thing than this to do for kings at their crowning and for criminals going to the scaffold.” Indeed, this mandate to remember Christ in the Eucharist continues to shape the life of millions across the planet week in and week out. There is a second, and I would argue deeply connected commandment. On Maundy Thursday we read John’s account of the last supper. John doesn’t mention bread and wine. Instead the action centers around Jesus’ washing the disciples feet. Jesus says, “if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The teacher spends his last night with the disciples connecting the dots. To remember Jesus is to serve another.

On Thursday at church, we will gather to celebrate Eucharist, to remember Jesus, and to wash one another’s feet. After the Eucharist, we reserve the sacrament in the chapel, which is decorated to remind us of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray after the Last Supper. Some of the congregation may choose to pray awhile with the reserve sacrament on Thursday night. The service will conclude with stripping the altar, taking away every decoration that isn’t bolted down. We empty the sanctuary to prepare ourselves for the stark reality of Good Friday. Worship Schedule Maundy Thursday in United Kingdom Home Calendar Holidays United Kingdom Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday in United Kingdom Maundy Thursday is a Christian observance in the United Kingdom. The day, also known as Holy Thursday, occurs during Holy Week and falls on the Thursday before Good Friday . It commemorates Jesus Christ’s last supper and the initiation of the Eucharist, which is observed in many Christian churches. The Eucharist (or Communion) is remembered on Maundy Thursday. The Eucharist (or Communion) is remembered on Maundy Thursday. ©iStockphoto.com/MKucova What Do People Do?

Maundy Thursday in the United Kingdom features the monarch offering Maundy money, also known as Royal Maundy, to selected senior citizens – one man and one woman for each year of the monarch’s age. The monarch presents each man and woman with a red and white purse during the service. The red purse traditionally contains an allowance for clothing and provisions and the white purse holds Maundy coins to match the monarch’s age. Many church services, particularly in many Catholic and Anglican churches, are held in the evenings. They may involve the blessing of oils used for sacraments. Services on this day usually reflect on the story of the Last Supper, which is told in the Christian bible. This day also commemorates the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Some priests or ministers may wash the feet of some congregation members in memory of this event. Public Life Maundy Thursday is not a public holiday in the United Kingdom so schools, government offices and businesses are open. Public transport providers run to their usual schedules. Background It was a tradition for the monarch in England to wash the feet of the poor (which the Yeoman of the Laundry pre-washed) and kiss them on Maundy Thursday. This custom took place in England until 1689.

It can be traced back as far as when kings in France performed this act as early as the 11th century. The first English king to do perform the feet-washing ritual was John after his excommunication. The number of paupers was 13 until Edward III, who changed it to the number of years he reigned. The monarchs showed little enthusiasm for washing feet after the reign of James II but giving gifts of food and money remained. One silver penny would be given to one poor man and one poor woman for each year of the sovereign’s age. Food and clothing were also handed out to the poor. It is, to this day, customary for England’s monarch (king or queen) to distribute Maundy money on Maundy Thursday.

Question: In the Christian calendar, Maundy falls on which day of Holy Week?
Answer: Thursday