Why are Maundy Thursday and Good Friday so named?
The word Maundy means commandment, and comes from the Latin mandatum novum which means new commandment. This reference of a new commandment is found in John 13:34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. This commandment was given by Jesus on the day before he was crucified; a day which saw him wash the disciples feet, setting an example of being a servant; a day which ended with the Passover Meal, Gethsemane and Jesus subsequent arrest and trial. The practice of our present Queen distributing Maundy money on Maundy Thursday comes from a medieval practice where those who were rich humbled themselves before the poor by becoming a servant and washing their feet – following the example of Jesus. Indeed, the practice of washing feet was carried out by the monarch up to the end of the reign of James II, after which the royal almoner was selected for the task. For this reason the custom gradually died out. History tells of when Elizab
