Why is it called Maundy Thursday? I know we celebrate the Last Supper, but where does "maundy" come from and what does it mean?

The name "Maundy" is an adaptation of the Latin, mandatum novum, the first sung response of the traditional ceremony for the washing of the feet. (See John 13.)

Maundy Thursday is the English name for the Thursday before Easter. The Christian church observes Maundy Thursday as the commemoration of the sacrament of Holy Communion and, in some traditions, the footwashing.

 
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Julian of Norwich, a late fourteenth-century mystic and spiritual writer, chose to live a solitary life in a cell attached to the Church of Saint Julian in Norwich, England. Because Julian was known for her wisdom, seekers approached the window of her cell to ask her questions about Christian faith and practice.

Learn more about Julian by reading Encounter with God's Love: Selected Writings of Julian of Norwich from Upper Room Books.

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