Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday - also known as Mandatum Thursday, Holy Thursday and Commandment Thursday. Maundy is the name of the Christian rite of footwashing, which traditionally occurs during Maundy Thursday church services. Most scholars agree that the English word maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum (also the origin of the English word "mandate"), the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.") This statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34 by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.

Another theory is that the English name "Maundy Thursday" arose from "maundsor baskets" or "maundy purses" of alms which the king of England distributed to certain poor at Whitehall before attending Mass on that day. Thus, "maund" is connected to the Latin mendicare, and French mendier, to beg.

Holy Thursday is the beginning of the Easter "Triduum" which commemorates the passion, death and ressurrection of Jesus. Our choir would have been singing Shephard's "A new commandment" and Morley's "Nolo mortem peccatoris" at our Maundy Thursday Eucharist of the Last Supper this evening. Instead, our online choir have separately recorded Tallis' "O Salutaris Hostia" which our multi-talented music director has multitracked into the recording below.

 

You can read more about Tallis on an earlier post here and details of streamed services from our church on the website here.