Today, according to the church calendar is Maundy Thursday.
Maundy came from the word in Latin `mandatum' referring to Christ's
commandment concerning foot-washing; also the day on which the
first Lord's Supper was celebrated. It is on this evening where
Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Holy Communion when He
partake of the bread and wine with His disciples just before He was
arrested, sentenced, tortured and finally crucified. Jesus also
shown His humility in the act of washing His disciples' feet.
It is the custom of the Roman Catholic as well as the Episcopal
Church to observe this day. As a time to remember the origins of
the Lord's Supper and also the Lord's humility towards people. In
normal Maundy Thursday service, the Holy Communion is once again
celebrated and after that the Priest will remove his vestments and
start washing the feet of twelve selected church members.
When everything is completed, it is also the traditions of the
church to 'strip the altar' whereby all ornaments found hanging on
the walls of the sanctuary are either taken down or covered up with
a cloth and altar being stripped off its decorative altar linen and
for once throughout the entire year is being laid bare and
uncovered. Remaining objects such as cross,candlesticks, and other
objects left are also removed from its original positions and the
sanctuary left empty of them. The service finally ends with the
congregation leaving the church without dismissal hymn and after
the entire church has its lights extinguished.
