This year, Maundy Thursday falls on April 13. It commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples on the night before he was crucified. This is a solemn occasion, marked by the shadow of Jesus’ betrayal. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “command.” It refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Supper, to love with humility by serving one another and to remember his sacrifice. During the holy mass on Maundy Thursday, Christians around the world recollect the events of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and passed around bread and wine, establishing the ceremony known as the Eucharist.
The service ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. It is carried in procession to another place where it’s kept overnight to be distributed on Good Friday, during the commemoration of the Passion of Christ. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. On this day Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and the Mass.
Here are 20 quotes to honor and remember such important celebration.
“The washing of the feet and the sacrament of the Eucharist: two expressions of one and the same mystery of love entrusted to the disciples, so that, Jesus says, “as I have done… so also must you do” (Jn 13: 15).” - Pope John Paul II
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life.” - Pope John Paul II
“It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.” - Padre Pio
“When you look at the Crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” - Blessed Mother Teresa
“I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ ...; I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love.” - St. Ignatius of Antioch
“The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love; It signifies Love, it produces Love.” - St. Thomas Aquinas
“If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude.” - St. Angela of Foligno
“I throw myself at the foot of the Tabernacle like a dog at the foot of his Master.” - St. John Vianney
“God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.” - St. Maximilian Kolbe
Quotes from the Bible:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” - John 13:34
“And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.’” - Mark 14:22-24
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” - Luke 22:19-20
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” - John 14:6
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.’” - Matthew 26:26-29
“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” - John 13:1-17
“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” - Mark 10:17-31
“Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”’ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’” - Matthew 26:17-30
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.’” - John 6:53
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” - Luke 10:25-37
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
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