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Maundy Thursday – The Eucharist – begins the Sacred Triduum, or The Three Sacred Days of our redemption. We celebrate our Lord’s institution of the sacrament of his Body and Blood. We hear the ancient instructions for celebrating the Passover, Paul’s account of the institution of the Eucharist, and John’s account of the moment when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.
After Holy Communion on this night, the altar is stripped, and the Sacrament is placed on the Altar of Repose, where it will be available for Holy Communion on Good Friday. Everyone is invited to keep vigil in the church in response to Jesus’ question, “Could you not watch with me for one hour?”. The night ends with Tenebrae at 8:00 p.m. It is important to realize that with the close of Maundy Thursday, the liturgy does not end. Rather, the celebration of the mysteries of our redemption are of such magnitude that three days are necessary to plummet their depths. Thus the celebration of our faith continues through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.