The name for this day comes from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning "commandment." It refers to the two "new" commandments our Lord gave to His disciples on this day. The first is "love one another," and the second is "do this in remembrance of Me." In the early church, Maundy Thursday was also the day on which those who had fallen away from the Church were restored to full fellowship with other believers after having observed the 40-day penitential season of Lent. Today we are reminded of the reconciliation we have because of Christ’s body and blood given for the forgiveness of our sin, and the example of self-giving love shown by our Lord as He washed the feet of His disciples.
Our service today is the "first act" or portion of what the early Church observed as "the triduum," a three-day observance of the events of our Lord's suffering, death, and resurrection. Even though Christians come and go during these three days, the worship services from now through the great Vigil of Easter are considered to be one continuous service.
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