A Maundy Thursday Reflection

On Maundy Thursday, we pause to reflect on one of the most moving moments in the Christian calendar - the Last Supper, where Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples, washed their feet, and gave the gift of the Eucharist.

Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) is the Thursday before Easter and marks the beginning of the most solemn part of Holy Week. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning commandment, referring to Jesus' words: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” It commemorates Jesus' acts of humility and service, most poignantly shown in the washing of his disciples' feet—a gesture of love, equality, and care.

This act of humble service - God kneeling to wash the feet of his friends - is a powerful reminder of the sacredness of compassion.

Jesus: God’s Greatest Gift

Supper was special that night.

There was both a heaviness

And a holiness hanging in the air.

And then suddenly

The One we love startled us all.

He got up from the table

And put on an apron.

Can you imagine how we felt?

God in an apron!

Tenderness encircled us

As he bowed before us.

He knelt and said,

‘I choose to wash your feet

because I love you’

God in an apron,

Kneeling.

I could not believe my eyes.

I was embarrassed

Until His eyes met mine

I sensed my value then.

He touched my feet.

He held them in his strong brown hands.

I can still see the look in his eyes.

Then he handed me the towel and said,

‘As I have done so you must do.

Learn to bow

Learn to kneel.’

‘Let your tenderness encircle everyone you meet.

Wash their feet

Not because you have to but because you want to.’

This Maundy Thursday, as we remember Jesus’ loving service, we are invited to do likewise: to serve with kindness, to kneel in humility, and to let our tenderness encircle all whom we meet.

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Image credit: Hosios Loukas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons