Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday or the Thursday of Mysteries, is a significant day in Christianity that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, which is believed to have taken place around 30 CE. This meal is traditionally connected to the Jewish Passover and marks the establishment of the Eucharist, a sacred rite celebrated across Christian denominations that involves sharing bread and wine. The evening is notable for Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, symbolizing humility and service, and for his predictions regarding his impending betrayal and death.
Holy Thursday initiates the observance of Holy Week, leading up to Easter, with its date varying each year due to its dependence on the lunar calendar. Various Christian traditions commemorate the day with services that may include foot washing, processions, and the consecration of oil for baptism. In many denominations, the service takes place on the evening of Holy Thursday, and rituals, such as the emptying of the tabernacle in Roman Catholic churches, highlight the significance of the Last Supper. The day also carries a rich cultural legacy, with legends like the Holy Grail emerging over time. Overall, Holy Thursday represents a poignant remembrance of Jesus' final teachings and the foundation of key Christian practices.
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Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday
On the evening before his death, in approximately 30 CE, Jesus of Nazareth and his twelve disciples gathered in a large upstairs room in a house in Jerusalem to partake of an evening meal often described as the seder, the ceremonial meal that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. This gathering is remembered by Christians as the Last Supper and is the source of the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, a rite observed by Christians of every denomination. The day itself is called Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, or Thursday of Mysteries. The week beginning with the preceding Sunday and continuing through Holy Thursday to the day before Easter is known as Holy Week in Christianity. Passover and all the events of the Holy Week occur in March or April each year, but because Passover is determined by the phases of the moon, Holy Week occurs on different dates in different years.
According to the gospels, Jesus foresaw his own arrest and death and took steps to prepare his disciples for the time when he would no longer be with them. Before the meal began, says the Gospel of John, he washed and dried their feet, a task that would ordinarily have been performed by a servant or slave, and explained that he wished his disciples to serve one another with a like willingness and humility. During the meal he spoke of his impending arrest and predicted that it would be accomplished by treachery: “One of you will betray me.” The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell of Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples, calling these substances “my body, which was given for you” and “my blood of the covenant . . . poured out for many for the remission of sins” and commanding them to “do this in remembrance of me” in later times. (With these words Jesus identified himself with the sacrificial lamb of Passover, whose blood was the sign of a covenant with God and saved the Israelite children from destruction). Throughout the meal as described in the Gospel of John, Jesus urged his disciples to remain faithful to his teachings and assured them that they would see him again and have his companionship in spirit.
After supper Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He was arrested there later that night by a squad of Roman soldiers guided by his disciple Judas, who singled out Jesus by greeting him with a kiss. Jesus was then led away to be examined by the priests and elders of the Temple on charges of blasphemy, of which he was found guilty. The next day he was handed over to the Roman authorities, who executed him.
Although Jesus's followers were thrown into despair and confusion by his death, they recovered their faith upon his resurrection three days later and never wavered afterward. The sharing of bread and wine in obedience to their lord's commandment began early and soon became a sacred rite, now known as the Eucharist, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper. Over the centuries the question of whether congregants, in partaking of Communion, can be said to receive the person of Jesus literally or mystically, or whether they are simply engaging in reverent remembrance, has been fiercely argued among the different sects and remains a matter of debate. Whatever their differences on the exact meaning of Communion, however, the various denominations agree that it has a central place in Christian worship.
Today, all Christian churches offer Communion on Holy Thursday. Bread (leavened in the Eastern Orthodox churches, unleavened in the West) and wine are consecrated and then distributed to the congregation, with the accompaniment of hymns, prayers, and readings from the Bible. Orthodox priests also consecrate additional Eucharistic bread that is reserved to give as Communion to those who are sick throughout the year.
In Roman Catholic churches, the tabernacle, a box where consecrated wafers are stored, is left empty and open after evening Mass on Holy Thursday and throughout Good Friday, to remind people that without the Last Supper no Eucharist would exist. Because no wafers can be consecrated on Good Friday, extra ones are sanctified on Holy Thursday, and then placed in a chapel or a separate container at the side of the altar known as an "altar of repose," where they can be venerated by the faithful until they are used on Friday. A procession bearing the consecrated bread and wine around the church may be performed. In many countries, congregants visit the altars of repose of seven churches. Flowers and greenery may adorn the altar of repose; however, the tabernacle light extinguished, the main altar is stripped, and holy water removed. Street processions are also common throughout Holy Week, including Holy Thursday, in numerous countries, particularly those with Spanish Catholic connections.
Protestant churches have a plainer but equally solemn service, often including a series of readings or meditations. Some Protestant denominations opposed to the use of alcohol substitute grape juice for wine.
Most services in the West are held on the evening of Holy Thursday as was, presumably, the Last Supper, but in some Eastern Orthodox churches, Communion is taken in the morning and a second service, called the Holy Passion, marking the beginning of Jesus' sufferings, is held after sunset. At that time a crucifix is borne in procession around the church and then placed at the center, where it will remain until Easter. On Holy Thursday, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in East Jerusalem, the Orthodox patriarch blesses the Holy Light, or Holy Fire, which is then carried forth and used to light Easter candles in Eastern Orthodox churches around the world.
A ritual washing of feet is sometimes performed either prior to or in the midst of the main services on Holy Thursday in Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant churches. A minister, priest, or bishop washes the feet of laypeople or other clergy in imitation of Jesus; in Rome the pope has historically washed the feet of twelve cardinals. During the Middle Ages, devout kings were also known to perform this ritual. In emulation of much-earlier predecessors who washed the feet of the poor as well as those of clergy, Pope Francis washed the feet of detained youth, prisoners, migrants, and refugees in the 2010s.
Catholic and Orthodox clergy also bless the oil used for anointing baptismal candidates. It is often used in the US for baptisms performed on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
In medieval times, the tale grew that the cup that Jesus had used at the Last Supper had survived intact and might yet be found. This cup, called the Holy Grail, was said to have magical powers, probably borrowed from Celtic myth. It could feed the hungry and heal the sick; only the pure in heart could recognize it. Eventually the legend of the Grail attached itself to the cycle of stories about King Arthur and his Round Table, and the quest for the Grail came to be seen as the ultimate knightly endeavor.
Bibliography
The Bible. New International Version, Biblica, 2011. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.
Brookfield, Karen. “The Quest for the Holy Grail.” The British Library, www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/mythical/grail.html, http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/mythical/grail.html. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.
Freeman, Patricia Coll. “Holy Week Rekindles Ancient Church Traditions.” Catholic News Agency, www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/holy-week/general-information/holy-week-rekindles-ancient-church-traditions. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.
“Great and Holy Thursday.” Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 2017, www.goarch.org/holythursday. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.
Moon, Kat. “What to Know about the Origins and Meanings of the Major Holy Week Rituals.” Time, 12 Apr. 2019, time.com/5567157/holy-week-history. Accessed 6 Apr. 2020.
“Orthodox Christians Mark ‘Holy Fire’ Easter Ceremony in Jerusalem.” Times of Israel, 28 Apr. 2019, www.timesofisrael.com/orthodox-christians-mark-holy-fire-easter-ceremony-in-jerusalem. Accessed 7 Apr. 2020.