The Maundy Thursday service is the "official" beginning of the Triduum. In these three significant days of Passion Week, we are encouraged to see ourselves as participants with the disciples of Christ as we relive them.
Maundy Thursday places us in the upper room where Jesus and his disciples came together for the Passover meal. That this meal was to be an especially important one was hinted at in Jesus's words according to the gospel of Luke, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (22:15). This eager desire on Jesus's part speaks to the love he had for his followers, and by being invited to share in the reliving of that evening, we also hear Jesus say that he is eager to share with us.
A key characteristic of Maundy Thursday is summarized in John's gospel where it is said of Jesus that, "having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end" (13:1). And so, when he washes their feet, he does so as a lowly servant out of love for his followers. When he shares the meal with them, he does so as one pleased to enjoy their fellowship. When he institutes the Eucharist at this last supper before his death, he does so for the benefit of those who follow in his footsteps.
You are invited to join us as we worship on this evening that has everything to do with the love that Jesus demonstrated and emphasized by saying, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples" (John 13:34-35).
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