In the Middles Ages kings washed the feet of beggars on the day before Good Friday. Over the centuries the foot washing was replaced by the giving of alms to the poor. Today the annual distribution is symbolic with the Queen presenting specially minted coins to pensioners who are recognised for acts of service in their local communities.
Medieval monarchs took their mandate for symbolic acts of service from Jesus. Maundy Thursday derives its name from the Latin mandatum (mandate). At his final meal with friends Jesus knelt and washed the feet of his companions. It was an act of love and service that he encouraged them to emulate.
All around us at the present time we find individuals who are doing just that. Paid workers and volunteers alike are doing whatever they can to help the sick and vulnerable at this time of crisis. Our political leaders and their medical advisers are working hard to guide the country through the health emergency. News last night that Prime Minister Johnson is now being cared for in a London hospital was a reminder of the personal cost of a commitment to public service. There will be no Royal Maundy Thursday service this year. In our time of need the symbolic gesture has been replaced. Real love, real action, and real service are the order of the day.
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