Maundy Thursday

The Thursday before Easter Sunday, which commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus' agony in the garden and his arrest.

'Maundy' is derived from the Latin 'mandatum' (commandment), the first word from the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"). This gave rise to the traditional ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community.