maundy n. Old French, maunde….referring to a basket of alms given to the poor or other symbolic means of alleviating their condition, e.g. foot washing
This Holy Thursday service, as it is also called, is a night in which Christians commemorate the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. It recalls when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Maundy Thursday gets its name from the new commandment (mandatum novum in Latin) …