Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
The Thursday before Easter, commemorating the institution of the Holy Eucharist. On this day only one Mass may be celebrated in each church, at which an additional Host is consecrated and borne in procession to the Altar of Repose to be used at the Mass of the Presanctified on the following day. The ringing of bells ceases after the Gloria in the Mass until Holy Saturday, and after vespers the altars are stripped, and were formerly washed with wine and water. This was followed by the washing of the feet, called the Mandatum from the words of the first antiphon sung during the ceremony, which is not now universally performed, when the principal priest of the church assisted by the deacon and subdeacon washed the feet of twelve poor men in imitation of Christ, who washed the feet of the twelve Apostles. The holy oils are consecrated on this day by the bishop and it was formerly the day on which penitents were reconciled to the Church. The night office celebrated is called Tenebrae. The name Shear Thursday came from the former custom of shearing the beard on that day.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Maundy Thursday
The feast of Maundy (or Holy) Thursday solemnly commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and is the oldest of the observances peculiar to Holy Week. In Rome various accessory ceremonies were early added to this commemoration, namely the consecration of the holy oils and the reconciliation of penitents, ceremonies obviously practical in character and readily explained by the proximity of the Christian Easter and the necessity of preparing for it. Holy Thursday could not but be a day of liturgical reunion since, in the cycle of movable feasts, it brings around the anniversary of the institution of the Liturgy. On that day, whilst the preparation of candidates was being completed, the Church celebrated the Missa chrismalis of which we have already described the rite (see HOLY OILS) and, moreover, proceeded to the reconciliation of penitents. In Rome everything was carried on in daylight, whereas in Africa on Holy Thursday the Eucharist was celebrated after the evening meal, in view of more exact conformity with the circumstances of the Last Supper. Canon 24 of the Council of Carthage dispenses the faithful from fast before communion on Holy Thursday, because, on that day, it was customary take a bath, and the bath and fast were considered incompatible. St. Augustine, too, speaks of this custom (Ep. cxviii ad Januarium, n. 7); he even says that as certain persons did not fast on that day, the oblation was made twice, morning and evening, and in this way those who did not observe the fast could partake of the Eucharist after the morning meal, whilst those who fasted awaited the evening repast.
Holy Thursday was taken up with a succession of ceremonies of a joyful character. the baptism of neophytes, the reconciliation of penitents, the consecration of the holy oils, the washing of the feet, and commemoration of the Blessed Eucharist, and because of all these ceremonies, the day received different names, all of which allude to one or another of solemnities.
Redditio symboli was so called because, before being admitted to baptism, the catechumens had to recite creed from memory, either in presence of bishop or his representative.
Pedilavium (washing of the feet), traces of which are found in the most ancient rites, occurred in many churches on Holy Thursday, the capitilavium (washing of the head) having taken place on Palm Sunday (St. Augustine, ” Ep. cxviii, cxix”, e. 18).
Exomologesis, and reconciliation of penitents: letter of Pope Innocent I to Decentius of Gubbio, testifies that in Rome it was customary “quinta feria Pascha” to absolve penitents from their mortal and venial sins, except in cases of serious illness which kept them away from church (Labbe, “Concilia” II, col. 1247; St. Ambrose, “Ep. xxxiii ad Marcellinam”). The penitents heard the Missa pro reconciliatione paenitentium, and absolution was given them before the offertory. The “Sacramentary” of Pope Gelasius contains an Ordo agentibus publicam poenitentiam (Muratori, “Liturgia romana vetus”, I, 548-551).
Olei exorcizati confectio. In the fifth century the custom was established of consecrating on Holy Thursday all the chrism necessary for the anointing of the newly baptized. The “Comes Hieronymi”, the Gregorian and Gelasian sacramentaries and the “Missa ambrosiana” of Pamelius, all agree upon the confection of the chrism on that day, as does also the “Ordo romanus I”.
Anniversarium Eucharistiae. The nocturnal celebration and the double oblation early became the object of increasing disfavour, until in 692 the Council of Trullo promulgated a formal prohibition. The Eucharistic celebration then took place in the morning, and the bishop reserved a part of the sacred species for the communion of the morrow, Missa praesanctificatorum (Muratori, “Liturg. rom. Vetus”, II, 993).
Other observances. On Holy Thursday the ringing of bells ceases, the altar is stripped after vespers, and the night office is celebrated under the name of Tenebrae.
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H. LECLERCQ Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XCopyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Maundy Thursday
also known under the term DIES COENAE DOMINICAE (q.v.), is the name given to the Thursday before Easter. The origin of this name is Dies mandati mandate Thursday; either from the commandment which our Savior gave to his disciples to commemorate the sacrament of his supper, which he instituted on this day (hence also called dies panis, day of bread; and dies lucis, day of light); or because on this day our Savior washed his disciples’ feet, and gave them commandment to follow his example. Others derive it from the Saxon mand, which means a basket, and subsequently any gift or offering contained in the basket. On this day penitents who had been put out of the Church on Ash-Wednesday were readmitted. There was also a general celebration of the Lord’s Supper, with which the ceremony of washing the feet was connected. Candidates for baptism publicly recited the Creed. The origin of this practice is generally referred to the 7th century, but Riddle (Christian Antiquities, p. 669) contends that it appears to have been of much earlier institution. SEE PEDILAVIUM.