Why is the Thursday before Easter called “Maundy Thursday”?
The word Maundy is derived through Middle English, and Old French mand, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase “Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos” (“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you”), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. The phrase is used as the antiphon sung during the “Mandatum” ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community. (source = Wikipedia) Why An Early Easter like we had in 2008? Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 21). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that the Hebrew people used t
