Holy Thursday is the beginning of the Triduum. This is a period of three days leading up to Easter.

We began the Lenten season with a marking of Ashes and in the Triduum we conclude with a marking of sorts.

The passage from Exodus chapter 12 tells the story that has guided our Jewish friends for thousands of years in the observance of Passover, which this year will begin at sundown on Friday. It recalls the marking of doorposts and how God marked them for safety in the shadow of Pharaoh’s seeming invincible imperial power.

When we worship together we do well to remember how we are marked – not just doorposts but throughout life. We hold and mark our babies during dedications. We mark believers young and old in the baptismal waters. We mark foreheads with ashes as a sign of repentance and mortality.

Jesus marked the disciples by cradling their feet and washing them. He marked them with love and then said to go and do the same thing.

That is why we call this day Maundy Thursday. The term Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (from which we get our English word mandate). It is generally translated as commandment.

Jesus became what he asks of us. Love. This is not really a new commandment. It is Jesus inviting us to see God in a new way.

Perhaps we see God as the giver of law, the punisher of sin and the Judge for all. Jesus invited us to see God differently. This one called Son of God wrapped himself up in a servant’s towel and washed feet like a slave and the next day will stretch his hands to be pierced like a criminal. For love Jesus gave it all away.

“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another…”

We will go into this evening and for the rest of our lives attempting to understand just how much Jesus loved us. The bread and cup are our reminders. Of course we can never fully understand. But we can try to follow.

Love one another.

Jesus is calling on us to not only be marked by God, but through love leave a mark on others.

Can we do that? Can we dare to live differently; love differently; serve differently; speak differently, all because we have been marked and Jesus has mandated that we now go and mark others?

We take up the bread as a marking. We take up the cup as a marking. We take up the cross as marking. And every day we take up our lives as marking.