But what does it mean?

Today is Maundy Thursday  What's that? ... Holy Thursday to some.  Today, especially, those of the Christian faith remember Christ's passion.  We remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples, his prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal and arrest and trials.  Some might think we have been doing that for the past six weeks since Ash Wednesday and we have; for the season of Lent in the life of the Christian Church is a period of penence as we reflect on Christ's sacrifice.  We use words in the Church that many are unfamiliar with and sometimes it is a simple matter of annual usage of a foreign sounding term.  I recall working with a group of Junior High students several years ago.  I mentioned the upcoming schedule of worship services during Holy Week and asked if the students planned on attending the service on Maundy Thursday.  One boy in the class thought for a moment and said "Well, Kathy, I'm pretty sure we can make it on Sunday Monday but I'm not sure about Monday Thursday."  And this is how many people hear the term.  Returning to the question of the meaning of Maundy Thursday we look at the word 'maundy'.  'Maundy' is derived from the Latin 'mandari' and then 'mandatum' in its dative form meaning 'command'.  This command refers to Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples and giving them the command to "Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." ~ John 13: 34,35 ~  Emphasizing this attitude based on his love for us shown through his sacrifice for us the institution of the eucharist or the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion contains his command "Do this in remembrance of me."  And so we pause to remember and reflect and, hopefully, act upon this command in our lives.