Dear Friends in Christ -
Things in the Church often have such strange names, words that you don't even hear in any other context, like "triduum" and "maundy." How can you get motivated to come to church - much less to take a risk and open your heart to new things - if you don't even know what's going on.
The word Triduum (Latin origins) means three days. Three worship services mark this holy time: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Participating in these three services provides the worshipper a sweeping experience of the central event of our faith: the death and resurerction of Jesus.
Maunday Thursday is Act I of this three-act drama. The word "Maundy" is from the Latin "mandatum," which is the first word of the phrase, "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you"). Jesus thus instructed his disciples to serve and love others in the humble way he did, by washing their feet.
Today, we'll do lots of things Jesus told us to do: pray, wash feet, eat the bread, drink the cup. All of these draw us in, right where Jesus wants us to be, close to him. Close enough so that what is true is real. To us. Now.
Faithfully,
Janet+
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