I was talking to my friend Chris Harmer the other day and mentioned that Thursday, April 9, is Maundy Thursday. Chris wondered what the word "maundy" means, and I was embarrassed that I couldn't tell him. So I looked it up on dictionary.com.
The word relates to a ceremony performed by some Christians on the Thursday of Holy Week (the Thursday before Easter). As part of the ceremony, the celebrant washes the feet of several selected members of the congregation that is present.
This ceremony mirrors the act recounted in the Christian Gospels of how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an effort to show them the importance of a leader actually humbling himself or herself, and serving those he or she leads. Following the foot washing, Jesus commanded (mandated) His followers to follow His example.
It is this word mandate that thus gives us the word "Maundy" via the Middle English. Here's the definition from dictionary.com
maundy
1. the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, esp. commemorating Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday.
2. Also called maundy money. money distributed as alms in conjunction with the ceremony of maundy or on Maundy Thursday.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME maunde ">mandātum command, mandate (from the opening phrase novum mandātum (Vulgate) of Jesus' words to the disciples after He had washed their feet).
The word relates to a ceremony performed by some Christians on the Thursday of Holy Week (the Thursday before Easter). As part of the ceremony, the celebrant washes the feet of several selected members of the congregation that is present.
This ceremony mirrors the act recounted in the Christian Gospels of how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an effort to show them the importance of a leader actually humbling himself or herself, and serving those he or she leads. Following the foot washing, Jesus commanded (mandated) His followers to follow His example.
It is this word mandate that thus gives us the word "Maundy" via the Middle English. Here's the definition from dictionary.com
maundy
1. the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, esp. commemorating Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet on Maundy Thursday.
2. Also called maundy money. money distributed as alms in conjunction with the ceremony of maundy or on Maundy Thursday.
Origin: 1250–1300; ME maunde ">mandātum command, mandate (from the opening phrase novum mandātum (Vulgate) of Jesus' words to the disciples after He had washed their feet).
No comments:
Post a Comment