Thursday, April 9
Maundy Thursday
The term “Maundy” is a shortened version of the Latin term “Mandatum” or mandate--a word universally associated in the early church with Christ’s command that His disciples should love one another (John 13:34). Very early on in the first and second centuries there were special services on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem during which the Christians would sing Psalms and chant litanies of repentance, hear the teaching of the Word, reconcile with one another, covenant to serve the body, and then receive communion. May we hear and heed the call to this great "Mandatum" today.
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3 comments:
"Very early on in the first and second centuries there were special services on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem during which the Christians would sing Psalms and chant litanies of repentance, hear the teaching of the Word, reconcile with one another, covenant to serve the body, and then receive communion."
Just curious... where did this information come from? Thanks!
I have read about this service in many places, attended such a service twice, and conducted it three times. The best description I've seen in print is in the book The Liturgies of the Early Church in Reformation Perspective, edited by John A.L. Talmering (London, 1927).
Thanks for the information, Dr. Grant. That's very interesting to me.
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