Maundy Thursday
The Thursday of Holy Week, commemorating the Last Supper.
Maundy Thursday is the Thursday of Holy Week, commemorating Christ's Last Supper with the disciples. The name comes from the Latin mandatum, the new commandment Christ gave at the supper ("A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another"). Catholic practice celebrates the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening, with the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood; the rite typically includes the washing of feet (the priest washes the feet of twelve members of the parish, recalling Christ's washing of the disciples' feet) and concludes with the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to a place of repose. Anglican and Lutheran traditions have parallel services; Mainline Protestant and some evangelical congregations hold a Maundy Thursday service of communion and remembrance.