Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum – the great three-day service which recalls the Last Supper, the Agony of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, his Trial before Pilate and his Crucifixion. The Triduum ends with the Easter Vigil and our celebration of Christ’s triumphant resurrection.

On Maundy Thursday we remember Christ’s call to service when the priest washes the feet of those present, as Christ washed the feet of his disciples. We remember the giving of the new commandment to love one another as Christ has loved us, and the institution of Holy Communion. At the end of the service the altar is stripped and all adornments are removed from the sanctuary.

There will be no blessing or dismissal because the service does not end until the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. After the post-communion prayer you may like to spend some time in silent prayer – recalling the time Jesus spent in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.