Why is Thursday of Holy Week called Maundy Thursday, and what is a Tenebrae service? The name ‘Maundy’ is derived from the Latin word “mandatum”, meaning a commandment. Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, commanded:
‘And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’ John 13:34
It is also religiously connected to Christ’s washing of His disciples’ feet. ‘Tenebrae’ is the Latin word for ‘darkness,’ and it signifies the somber evening worship services that churches hold on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week, during which candles are extinguished and the people sometimes exit in darkness.
We will celebrate communion at our Tenebrae service on Maundy Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 pm.
The service will be held in the Sanctuary. All are welcome.