What's a Maundy?

As any properly media-trained speaker might reply, "I'm glad you asked that question." Fortunately, there's Mr. Google.

Maundy comes from an Anglo-French word derived from the Latin “mandatum,” which means “commandment.” It refers to Jesus' injunction at the Last Supper: "love one another as I have loved you ..." Because we need reminding, we take the opportunity to wash each other's feet on Maundy Thursday, as he did for his foot-sore disciples that evening.

If you are the sort of person who worries about this sort of thing, you just hope only a minimum number of pitchers are overturned on the church floor. But even for the persnickety, it can be moving.

Maundy Thursday is the first event of the three-day climax of the Christian Holy Week, the most significant celebrations of the year (yes, bigger than Christmas). Good Friday marks the Crucifixion; the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night celebrates the Jesus' triumph over death.

Then everybody who can comes to church on Sunday and celebrates Life.

And then all those who make the observances happen take weary naps!