The Queen’s Maundy

Just a brief note that I am once again glad to see The Queen looking glorious and handing out the Queen’s Maundy.

Long may she reign!

The Queen’s Maundy

I am so glad to see The Queen continues her participation in this wonderful tradition and appears as glorious as ever at 92.

By the way, given her age, she gave the specially minted coins, The Royal Maundy, to 92 Seniors chosen because of their service to church and community.

Plenty of photos, a video, and some history of the Maundy may be found at the Daily Mail.  (Yes, I know some hate the Daily Mail.  But it is hard to beat them when covering royal events.)

May your Triduum and Easter be blessed and glorious as well.

The Queen’s Maundy

Today, The Queen once again celebrated the wonderful English tradition of the Sovereign distributing the Maundy.  This year it occurred at Leicester Cathedral.  The Daily Mail has the usual abundance of photos and some interesting history.

The 90-year-old monarch traditionally hands two purses - one white and one red - to each person during the service. The red purse contains a £5 coin, commemorating the Centenary of the House of Windsor and a 50p coin commemorating Sir Isaac Newton. 

The white purse will contain uniquely minted Maundy coins, equating in pence to her age, as Her Majesty prepares to celebrate her 91st birthday on April 21. The coins, a ceremonial gift from the Sovereign, are legal tender but recipients normally prefer to retain them as a keepsake.

I imagine they do!  I’ve wondered what a special occasion it must be for those few who get to receive the Maundy.

The first monarch to take part in a Maundy Thursday service was King John, of Magna Carta and Robin Hood fame, who distributed gifts of clothes and money to the poor in Knaresborough in 1210. John was also the first to present the poor with silver coins and is recorded as having done so in Rochester in 1213. 

There’s much more interesting history at the link.  Do go read and gaze for yourself.  And have blessed Maundy Thursday.

“I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

During Holy Week, especially Maundy Thursday, the church often focuses on the last discourses of Jesus to his disciples before his arrest as recorded in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-17.  At my parish, if we follow past practice, we will read these during our post-Communion vigil tonight. 

In recent years, that focus each Holy Week has become my practice as well. And I am always moved by how these passages reveal the heart of Jesus towards us.

But I must confess I invariably focus more on other passages in these chapters than I do on the following for reasons that will become clear.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:18-20)

Not very pleasant reading, is it? Imagine how the disciples felt hearing it on that night.  But if Jesus thought it needful to tell his disciples this on the night of his betrayal and if St. John saw fit to record these words, we best pay attention.

We Christians in the West may be lulled into complacency by the relative freedom we have had for decades and more.  But only a glance at the headlines, which this Holy Week include attacks on Freedom of Religion even in the United States and more direct attacks on the lives of Christians in Kenya, shows Jesus’ words are as relevant and true as ever.

For each of the disciples who remained in the Upper Room, following Jesus meant being hated, even with a hate that would persecute, enslave and kill. 

Yes, there have been lulls of that Satanic hate in history.  But now we must open our eyes and prepare to be hated.  For we are in no such lull today.  To these also of Jesus’ words that dark night we must pay heed.