Today and maybe tomorrow I'll just make a note or two about words - words that describe days. Today is referred to as Maundy Thursday. It is a curious thing to consider that for some this term is automatic and natural. For some it may even have unpleasant or musty childhood memories associated with it. For others it may sound alien, maybe vaguely idolatrous, especially if considered from an anabaptist perspective - assigning a specific meaning to a particular day (besides the Lord's day) would be considered suspect. For most people on the planet it probably means absolutely nothing. The phrase seems to have originated from the Latin: 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, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)
After that it probably made its way through various derivatives on the European continent and British Isles until it became "Maundy."
A "new" commandment: mandatum novum. Maundy - truly a rich and beautiful word.
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