Thursday of Holy Week is called “Maundy Thursday.” The name “Maundy” comes from the Latin “mandatum,” or “command,” and is the first word of the phrase “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” – in English, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another.” Jesus, speaking to his disciples, continues, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus says these words during his final meal with his disciples. For this reason, worship on Maundy Thursday is almost always a communion service and...

Note: The following reflection is adapted from an email I sent out to the rostered leaders on the LTSP email list thanking them for their pastoral work at this important, and busy, time of the year. If you’d like to receive news, updates, and these occasional reflections, you can sign up here. Why Is This Week Called “Holy”? That’s a reasonable question, when you consider how odd it is to name this week “holy,” a week filled to the bring with betrayal and desertion, suffering and abuse, and, finally, the death of an innocent who cries aloud in despair. So why in the world has the Church decided to call...