Maundy Thursday: Preface

Jesus said, “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem in hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei discipuli estis si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem.” This ‘mandatum novum’ – or ‘new commandment’ – has become the basis for Christianity, and we remember the commandment in the very name of the day on which Christ gave it: Maundy Thursday.

In English, John 13:34-35 reads: “A new command I give you: 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.”

Maundy Thursday is the day on which our Lord showed His love for us, by giving Himself to us in love. He began the evening by washing his disciples feet, then He ate with them and taught them the way of love, even as He knew that one was going to betray Him and another deny Him. Then He proceeded to pray eloquently for them, and for us – His church through the ages. Then, as we all saw in “The Passion”, He is captured, beaten, mocked, and abandoned to spend the night of Maundy Thursday alone in a cell.

This Holy Week, I will attempt to post passages from the book of John as they occured in parallel time. It will be far from perfect, but let us honor this time by meditating on the sacrifice of Christ for our sins.