MAUNDY THURSDAY

Today we receive the great gift
of the Saviour’s last commandment;
today we are filled with the mystery of God’s love.
With joy we respond to the commands
of our Saviour, girded with a towel;
with his joy we wash one another’s feet,
with his peace we greet one another,
with his love we welcome his divine presence,
feasting at his table.
Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!
We follow you into darkness of the garden,
we pray through the night of your agony.
Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you!

1. Liturgy of the Word

Opening Hymn:

The heavenly Word, proceeding forth,
yet leaving not his Father’s side,
accomplishing his work on earth
had reached at length life’s eventide.
By false disciple to be given
to foes who for his life did thirst,
himself, the living bread from heaven,
he gave to his disciples first.
He gave himself in either kind,
his precious flesh, his precious blood,
that there humanity might find
for body and soul the perfect food.
In birth at one with us was he,
our meat while sitting at the board,
he died, our ransomer to be,
he reigns to be our great reward.
O saving victim, opening wide
the gate of heaven to us below;
our foes press hard on every side,
thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
All praise and thanks to thee ascend
for evermore, blest One in Three;
O grant us life that shall not end
in our true native land with thee.

Collect:

God our Father, you have invited us to share in the supper which your Son gave to his Church to proclaim his death until he comes: may he nourish us by his presence, and unite us in his love, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 11.23-26
Gradual Hymn:

An upper room did our Lord prepare
for those he loved until the end:
and his disciples still gather there,
to celebrate their Risen Friend.
A lasting gift Jesus gave his own,
to share his bread, his loving cup.
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
he by his Cross shall lift us up.
And after Supper he washed their feet,
for service, too, is sacrament.
In him our joy shall be made complete
sent out to serve, as he was sent.
No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond our uttermost:
in every room in our Father's house
he will be there, as Lord and host.

Gospel: John 13.1-17, 31b-35

2. Washing of the Feet

After the sermon, the Celebrant washes the feet of twelve people (servers and others) while all sing:

Where true love is dwelling, God is dwelling there;
love’s own loving presence love does ever share.
Love of Christ has made us out of many one;
in our midst is dwelling God’s eternal Son.
Give him joyful welcome, love him and revere;
cherish one another with a love sincere.
As in Christ we gather, discord has no part;
ours is but one Spirit, but one mind and heart.
Bitterness now ended, let there be accord;
always with us dwelling be our Lord and God.
May we share the vision with the Saints on high
of Christ’s matchless glory when we come to die.
Joy of all the blessed, be our heavenly prize;
dwell with us for ever, Lord of paradise.

The Foot-washing is followed immediately by the Peace.

3. Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory Hymn :

O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one,
grant us at every Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, "thy will be done."
O may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace;
thus may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
We pray thee too for wanderers from thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
soon may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all thy Church above,
one with thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with thy saints in one unbounded love;
more blessèd still, in peace and love to be
one with the Trinity in Unity.

During Communion the choir will sing:
Ave verum corpus (Byrd)
God so loved the world (John Goss)

Then all sing the Communion Hymn:

This is the night, dear friends, the night for weeping,
when powers of darkness overcome the day,
the night the faithful mourn the weight of evil
whereby our sins the Son of Man betray.
This night the traitor, wolf within the sheepfold,
betrays himself into his victim's will;
the Lamb of God for sacrifice preparing,
sin brings about the cure for sin's own ill.
This night Christ institutes his holy supper,
blest food and drink for heart and soul and mind;
this night injustice joins its hand to treason's,
and buys the ransom-price of humankind.
This night the Lord by slaves shall be arrested,
he who destroys our slavery to sin;
accused of crime, to criminals be given,
that judgment on the righteous Judge begin.
O make us sharers, Savior, of your passion,
that we may share your glory that shall be;
let us pass through these three dark nights of sorrow
to Easter's laughter and its liberty.

Post-communion prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you that in this wonderful sacrament you have given us the memorial of your passion. Grant us so to reverence the sacred mysteries of your body and blood that we may know within ourselves and show forth in our lives, the fruit of your redemption, for you are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

4. Procession and Stripping of the Altars

All kneel as the Sacrament (reserved for communion on Good Friday) is taken in procession to the Altar of Repose, commemorating Christ and his disciples on their way to Gethsemane. During the procession all sing:

Of the glorious body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
and the blood, all price excelling,
which the world’s eternal King,
in a spotless womb once dwelling,
shed for this world’s ransoming.
Given for us, for us descending,
of a virgin to proceed,
he, with us in converse blending,
scattered here the gospel seed,
till his sojourn drew to ending,
which he closed with wondrous deed.
At the last great supper lying,
circled by his chosen band,
meekly with the law complying,
first he finished its command;
then, immortal food supplying,
gave himself with his own hand.
Word made flesh, by word he maketh
very bread his flesh to be;
each in wine Christ’s blood partaketh,
and, if senses fail to see,
faith alone the true heart waketh,
to behold the mystery.

(When the Ministers arrive at the Altar of Repose)

Therefore we, before him bending,
this great sacrament revere;
types and shadows have their ending,
for the newer rite is here;
faith, our outward sense befriending,
makes the inward vision clear.
Glory let us give and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
honour, might, and praise addressing
while eternal ages run;
ever too his love confessing,
who with both is ever one. Amen.

The ministers return, vested in purple, for the Stripping of the Altars, during which all say together Psalm 22:

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, •
and are so far from my salvation,
from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime,
but you do not answer; •
and by night also, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, •
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forebears trusted in you; •
they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered; •
they put their trust in you and were not confounded.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man, •
scorned by all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn; •
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
‘He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; •
let him deliver him, if he delights in him.’
But it is you that took me out of the womb •
and laid me safe upon my mother’s breast.
On you was I cast ever since I was born; •
you are my God even from my mother’s womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near at hand •
and there is none to help.
Mighty oxen come around me; •
fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
They gape upon me with their mouths, •
as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; •
my heart has become like wax
melting in the depths of my body.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd;
my tongue cleaves to my gums; •
you have laid me in the dust of death.
For the hounds are all about me,
the pack of evildoers close in on me; •
they pierce my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones; •
they stand staring and looking upon me.
They divide my garments among them; •
they cast lots for my clothing.
Be not far from me, O Lord; •
you are my strength; hasten to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword, •
my poor life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth,
from the horns of wild oxen. •
You have answered me!
I will tell of your name to my people; •
in the midst of the congregation will I praise you.
Praise the Lord, you that fear him; •
O seed of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, O seed of Israel.
For he has not despised nor abhorred the suffering of the poor;
neither has he hidden his face from them; •
but when they cried to him he heard them.
>From you comes my praise in the great congregation; •
I will perform my vows
in the presence of those that fear you.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; •
those who seek the Lord shall praise him;
their hearts shall live for ever.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the Lord, •
and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s •
and he rules over the nations.
How can those who sleep in the earth
bow down in worship, •
or those who go down to the dust kneel before him?
He has saved my life for himself;
my descendants shall serve him; •
this shall be told of the Lord for generations to come.
They shall come and make known his salvation,
to a people yet unborn, •
declaring that he, the Lord, has done it.

The Vigil before the Sacrament then begins. Please come and kneel for at least a short while near the Altar of Repose; then leave the church in silence.
All are welcome to stay behind, or come back, for any part of the vigil.