Having taken part in many a Maundy Thursday ceremony over the years I’m loathe to admit I never really knew the meaning of Maundy.

I knew that Jesus gathered his disciples for their last meal together before his crucifixion, and it has always been known as The Last Supper; but that did not explain the meaning of Maundy. After reading the excerpt below I am much the wiser and it has only taken eighty-four years! Hopefully, those who are learning about this two-thousand-year-plus event will gain this insight at a much younger age.

Here is an explanation of Maundy Thursday as gleaned from the Intrnet:

The name ‘Maundy‘ is derived from the Latin word “mandatum”, meaning a commandment. Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, commanded:

‘And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.‘ John 13:34