Day 38: 6 April : Maundy Thursday

Hear our voice, O Lord, according to your faithful love.

|Exodus 12.1-14 |Psalm 116.1-2,11-18 |1 Corinthians 11.23-26 |John 13.1-17,31b-35 |

Last Supper

Ulyana Tomkevych (Ukraine, 1981– ) The Last Supper

Maundy Thursday
by Malcolm Guite

Here is the source of every sacrament,
The all-transforming presence of the Lord,
Replenishing our every element,
Remaking us in his creative Word.
For here the earth herself gives bread and wine,
The air delights to bear his Spirit’s speech,
The fire dances where the candles shine,
The waters cleanse us with his gentle touch.
And here he shows the full extent of love
To us whose love is always incomplete,
In vain we search the heavens high above,
The God of love is kneeling at our feet.
Though we betray him, though it is the night,
He meets us here and loves us into light.

 from "The Stations of the Cross" inSounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year. Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2012, p. 36.

Francis Poulenc (1899–1963). Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence | Four pentential motets. (FP 97). WDR Rundfunkchoir, dir Peter Dijkstra, Cologne, 2019.

1.Timor et tremor venerunt super me, et caligo cecidit super me: miserere mei Domine, [miserere mei] quoniam in te confidit anima mea.

Exaudi Deus deprecationem meam quia refugium meum es tu adjutor fortis. Domine, invocavi te, non confundar.

2. Vinea mea electa, ego te plantavi: quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem, ut me crucifigeres et Barrabam dimitteres.

Sepivi te, et lapides elegi ex te, et ædificavi turrim.

3.Tenebrae factae sunt, dum crucifixissent Jesum Judaei: et [circa] horam nonam exclamavit Jesus voce magna: Deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti? Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum.

Exclamans Jesus voce magna, ait: Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum.

4. Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem: sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum: nunc videbitis turbam, quæ circumdabit me: Vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis.

Ecce appropinquat hora, et Filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum.

1. Fear and terror have settled upon me; the shadows have invaded me. Have mercy on me, Lord; have mercy. Unto you I commend my spirit.

Hear, O Lord, my prayer, for you are my refuge and my succour, all-powerful Lord and I invoke Thee: let me never be confounded.

2. O vineyard, my chosen one! I planted you: how are you changed from sweet to bitter, to have crucified me and released Barrabas?

I protected you; I have removed stones that could bother you and built a tower for your defence.

3. Shadows covered the earth, when the Jews crucified Jesus, and toward the ninth hour Jesus let forth a great cry, saying: "My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" And lowering his head, he gave up the spirit.

Jesus, crying out in a great voice, said: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

4. Sad is my soul unto death: stay here, and keep watch with me: soon you will see a crowd of men surround me. You shall flee, and I will go to be sacrificed for you.

Here is the approaching hour when the Son of man will be delivered into the hands of sinful man.

May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.Amen.