The evening of Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum. This day receives its name from the Latin “mandatum” or the “new commandment” given by our Lord. At the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and commanded them to love and serve one another as he had done.

The service begins as we remember the institution of the Eucharist and the love and service which Jesus lived and taught. The mood turns solemn as we fix our attention on the agony in the garden of Gethsemane and the journey to the cross and crucifixion.

The altar, symbolic of Christ, is stripped of its vesture and left bare for the solemnity of Good Friday.