Maundy Thursday 2026: April 2

Maundy Thursday 2026 takes us to the upper room, where Jesus was betrayed on the night he gave us everything. Canon Scott Leannah leads us in the Mass of the Lord’s Supper as we remember the first Eucharist. During this service, we reflect on Christ’s commandment to love one another as he has loved us and enter into the sacred silence of the night watch. The service concludes with the Stripping of the Altar and the Reservation of the Sacrament, leaving the church laid bare as we keep vigil with our Lord in Gethsemane.

Join us for worship as we celebrate the gift of the Eucharist and remain vigilant on this most holy night.

Join us for worship in the way that suits you best! You can worship with us in person, via live stream, through video replay, or as a podcast.

If You Cannot Join Us In Person for Maundy Thursday 2026!

We recognize that you may not always be able to join us in person; therefore, we provide several virtual options.

Livestream/Playback

Join us live after 5:55 pm with the service starting at 6 pm. After the livestream ends, you can replay the video at any time.

Podcast

We are available on all major platforms! Our podcast discusses everything from the opening hymn to the sharing of peace.

The Collect for Maundy Thursday 2026

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Readings for Maundy Thursday 2026

Old Testament: Exodus 12:1–4, 11–14

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it.

11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.

2 The snares of death entangled me; the grip of the grave took hold of me; I came to grief and sorrow.

12 How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.

14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants.

16 O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds.

17 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the Name of the Lord.

18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Gospel: John 13:1–17, 31b–35

1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

31b “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Reflection on the Readings for Maundy Thursday 2026

The Night He Gave Us Everything

Old Testament – Exodus 12:1–4, 11–14

Maundy Thursday begins not in the upper room but in Egypt, on the eve of the first Passover. God gives Israel specific instructions for a meal that must be eaten in haste — with loins girded, sandals on, and staff in hand — because what is about to happen will set them free forever. The blood of the lamb on the doorposts serves as a sign of protection and belonging; when God sees it, death passes over. This event is not merely a one-time occurrence. God commands that it be observed as a perpetual ordinance, a day of remembrance to be celebrated throughout all generations.

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus gathers his disciples for the Passover meal. He is the Lamb whose blood signifies the new covenant. The liberation he offers is not from Egypt, but from sin and death itself. The meal he establishes that night becomes, like the previous Passover, a lasting ordinance: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19

The psalmist has been saved from the dangers of death and the hold of the grave. Now, he asks: How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness? The answer is not about transaction but rather a posture of gratitude. It involves lifting the cup of salvation, calling on the Lord’s name, and fulfilling vows before the entire community. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants.” The psalm is filled with Eucharistic themes: the cup lifted, the sacrifice of thanksgiving offered, and the name of the Lord proclaimed.

Tradition holds that Jesus and his disciples sang psalms at the end of the Last Supper before going out to the Mount of Olives. It is entirely possible that these very words were on his lips — the one who would make the cup of salvation available to all, offering himself as the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Epistle – 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

Paul’s account of the institution of the Eucharist is the earliest written record we possess of the events that took place in the upper room, even predating the Gospel narratives. He emphasizes that he did not create this account; rather, he received it from the Lord and passed it along. The continuity of this tradition is significant; this is not Paul’s theology, but a gift from Christ.

Two key elements stand out. First, the setting: “on the night when he was betrayed.” Paul does not soften this moment. The Eucharist is established in darkness, amid the shadow of betrayal, and it is given precisely when everything seems poised to unravel. Second, the purpose: “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Every celebration of the Eucharist serves as an act of proclamation — not merely a private spiritual experience, but a public declaration that the Lord died, that death did not prevail, and that he will return.

Gospel – John 13:1–17, 31b–35

John’s account of the Last Supper does not include an institution narrative—there is no mention of bread being broken or a cup being poured. Instead, John presents something equally remarkable: the Son of God on His knees, washing feet. Understanding that He has come from God and is returning to God, and knowing that all things are within His control, Jesus removes His robe, wraps a towel around His waist, and performs the task of the lowest household servant.

Peter’s protest is completely understandable; this is not how things are supposed to work. However, Jesus insists, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” This act is not just a lesson in humility — it is an act of cleansing, belonging, and love. Then comes the command that gives this day its name: “Mandatum novum do vobis” — “I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.” This love is not based on your feelings, nor is it defined by what seems reasonable, but rather it reflects how I have loved you — through humble service and unwavering dedication.

The evening concludes with the glorification of the Son of Man. What follows: the garden, the arrest, the cross, is not defeat but glory. Jesus approaches it willingly, having loved his own to the uttermost.

Maundy Thursday 2026 Reflection Wrap-Up

Maundy Thursday brings together three inseparable gifts: the Eucharist, the basin and towel, and the new commandment. These elements cannot be separated. The one who nourishes us with his body and blood is the same person who humbly kneels to wash our feet. The love he commands us to show towards one another is the love he himself demonstrates — fully, humbly, and at great cost.

As the service concludes this evening, the church will be stripped bare. The candles will be extinguished, the linens removed, and the altar left empty. The Sacrament is reserved in silence as we are invited to keep watch. The beauty of the liturgy gives way to darkness and waiting, leading us into the vigil of Gethsemane as best we can.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Tonight, we gather at the table, receive what He has given, and hear once more the commandment that guides everything: love one another as I have loved you.