Why is it called Maundy Thursday
During the Great and Holy Thursday, all the christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples and the washing of their feet.
It is the fifth day of the Holy week and is also called Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the latin word ‘mandatum’ which symbolizes the words of Jesus Christ ‘I give you a new commandment’.
Why is the Supper of Holy Thursday called ‘Secret’? An explanation from the Greek language
Father Stefanos Anagnostopoulos explains that the word ‘Μυστικός’ in Greek (Mystikos, meaning ‘secret’), is delivered from the noun ‘initiate’ which comes from the verb ‘initiate’ (in Greek μυώ, myo). Therefore, the Last Supper did not take place in secret, but it had a higher cause, to initiate the Apostles in the martyrdom that would follow.
In the Last Supper, our Lord Jesus Christ revealed, presented and taught to His twelve disciples, that the sacrament of His Sacrifice on the Cross has already been accomplished.
The Supper of Holy Thursday is called ‘Last’ because Jesus Christ initiated His disciples and through the disciples, us, into the saving sacrifice: He Himself performed the Cross of Calvary.
Through the Last Supper, Jesus Christ, in an inconceivable way to the human mind and common sense, foresees the events of the betrayal, the Trial, the Passion, the Calvary and the Sacrifice on the Cross.
And He expects them because they are present in the food of His Holy Body and His Holy Blood..."Take, eat, this is My body", he says to his disciples, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood…”
For the Lord to speak in this manner, signifies that the Sacrifice has already been performed and continues to be realized till nowadays through our Divine Liturgy!
