Every year during Holy Week, we celebrate Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means mandate or command. It’s a reminder of the commands Jesus gave the disciples on the night of the Last Supper. In John 15:12, Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” He also gave them the command to remember Him every time they shared communion, eating the bread and drinking from the cup. That’s why we often celebrate Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday. It’s a reminder of the love that Christ has shown to us, and the commandment for us to go and love others as well.
Maundy Thursday is always one of the most meaningful days of Lent for me every year. Most years we have times when we open our Worship Center and invite people to come and receive Holy Communion and spend time in prayer. I love getting to serve those who come because I get to spend a little more time with each person talking about communion, what Maundy Thursday is about, and giving thanks for God’s grace. But my favorite part is when children come in with their parents.
I have had the privilege of serving children communion for the very first time on a couple different occasions on Maundy Thursday. It is always a very holy moment as I get to explain to them what communion is all about, the gift of God’s grace, and our calling to love our neighbors. After they take communion, they will often go kneel at the railing to pray with their parents, and it is such a special sight to see families coming to the communion rails praying together.
This year will be even more meaningful to me as I will get to serve my daughter Holy Communion for the very first time and tell her about the gift of God’s love and our responsibility to love our neighbors. At one year old, she can’t comprehend all this intellectually, but I know that the mystery of God’s prevenient grace will still be at work already transforming her, just as God’s grace transforms all of us.
As we make that journey toward the cross, knowing that resurrection lies on the other side, let us dwell on the gift of God’s sacrificial love. It is our experience of God’s grace and God’s love that compels us to be those who go out and love our neighbors, no exceptions.
Rev. Josh Attaway, Edmond Campus Pastor
