Daily Jewel

by   Pastor J.T. Carnell,  McAlester, OK

What is “Maundy Thursday?”

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.  It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by  Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.  On this day four events are commemorated: the washing of the Disciples' feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of  Gethsemane, the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.

The morning celebration of these events marks the beginning of what is called the  Easter Triduum or Sacred Triduum. The Latin word triduum means a three-day period, and the triduum in question is that of the three days from the death to the resurrection of Jesus. It should be noted that for Jesus and his followers, a day ended and a new day began, at sunset, not at midnight, as it still does today in the modern Jewish calendar.  The Last Supper was held at what present-day Western civilization considers being the evening of Holy Thursday but what was then considered to be the first hours of Friday. Its annual commemoration thus begins the three-day period or triduum of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, days of special devotion that celebrate as a single action the death and resurrection of Christ, the central events of Christianity. (Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Beyond the history lesson, today marks the time where everything Jesus was talking about would reach its climax.  His teaching, serving and loving all come together as one.  These are more than just events that we highlight – they represent His very being and as such we come to appreciate them all the more. 

Do not let this time pass by without seeing the “big picture.”  What His life was about, what He accomplished, how He loved and touched and healed and spoke – and most importantly, He is still doing these very things!  Take a moment today to thank Him for simply being who He was.