Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, is the traditional celebration of the Last Supper, the day Christ institutes the practice of Communion. The word “maundy” comes from the Latin “maundatum novum”—the “new command” Jesus gives to love one another (John 13:34-35). After a flurry of activity in Jerusalem–temple-clearing and hosannas and watching a widow give her all–Jesus settles in with his beloveds to something he himself says that he has been “eagerly anticipating”. We don’t get that anywhere else—the idea that the Son of God is looking forward to something. And it’s us, in this moment. It’s washing our feet, gently, tenderly. It’s taking the bread and breaking it, offering the cup and blessing it. Take, eat, he says. We focus, rightly, on the beautiful gift of bread and wine that Jesus offers to His disciples and friends. Sometimes, though, we benefit from widening the lens on this particular narrative a little bit, and spending time with the radical act of servanthood Jesus performs. Art: Sieger Koder, Jesus Washing Feet

Posted by Anam Cara Abbey at 2022-04-14 12:54:34 UTC