From the Last Supper to the Betrayal at Gethsemane
On the feast of Passover, Jesus shared a meal with his disciples, which we celebrate with every holy communion. After supper, he humbled himself to wash the disciples' feet. He then told them: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34).
“Maundy" comes from a Latin word meaning "command." We observe Maundy (commandment) Thursday in Holy Week with a foot-washing service followed by a worship service that commemorates the Last Supper, which ends with the solemn stripping of the altar.