Holy Thursday – with Last Supper Crafts

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From Medieval Saints- Yahoo Group

Maundy Thursday, which derives its English name from Mandatum, the first word of the Office of the washing of the feet, is known in the Western liturgies by the heading “In Coena Domini” (upon the Lord’s supper). This marks the central rite of the day and the oldest of which we have explicit record. St. Augustine informs us that on that day Mass and Communion followed the evening meal or super, and that on this occasion Communion was not received fasting.


The primitive conception of the festival survives to the present time in this respect at least, that the clergy do not offer Mass privately but are directed to Communicate together at the public Mass, like guests at one table. The Liturgy, as commemorating the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, is celebrated in white vestments with some measure of joyous solemnity. The “Gloria in excelsis” is sung, and during it there is a general ringing of bells, after which the bells are silent until the Gloria is heard upon Easter Eve (Holy Saturday).

It is probable that both the silence of the bells and the withdrawing of lights, which we remark in the Tenebræ service, are to be referred to the same source — a desire of expressing outwardly the sense of the Church’s bereavement during the time of Christ’s Passion and Burial. The observance of silence during these three days dates at least from the eighth century, and in Anglo-Saxon times they were known as “the still days”; but the connection between the beginning of this silence and the ringing of the bells at the Gloria only meets us in the later Middle Ages. In the modern celebration of Maundy Thursday attention centres upon the reservation of a second Host, which is consecrated at the Mass, to be consumed in the service of the Presanctified next day. This is borne in solemn procession to an “altar of repose” adorned with flowers and lighted with a profusion of candles, the hymn “Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium” being sung upon the way.

So far as regards the fact of the consecration of an additional Host to be reserved for the Mass of the Presanctified, this practice is very ancient, but the elaborate observances which now surround the altar of repose are of comparatively recent date. Something of the same honour used, in the later Middle Ages, to be shown to the “Easter Sepulchre”; but here the Blessed Sacrament was kept, most commonly, from the Friday to the Sunday, or at least to the Saturday evening, in imitation of the repose of Christ’s sacred Body in the Tomb. For this purpose a third Host was usually consecrated on the Thursday. In the so-called “Gelasian Sacramentary”, probably representing seventh-century usage, three separate Masses are provided for Maundy Thursday. One of these was associated with the Order of the reconciliation of penitents (see the article ASH WEDNESDAY), which for long ages remained a conspicuous feature of the day’s ritual and is still retained in the Pontificale Romanum. The second Mass was that of the blessing of the Holy Oils, an important function still attached to this day in every cathedral church. Finally, Maundy Thursday has from an early period been distinguished by the service of the Maundy, or Washing of the Feet, in memory of the reparation of Christ for the Last Supper, as also by the stripping and washing of the altars (see MAUNDY THURSDAY).

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In 2011 we made this adorable craft featured on the Catholic Icing Blog. It was a lot of fun and Rosie (6 years old at the time ) in particular had a good time with it. But I put it away after Easter and when I got it out the next year it just looked kind of worse for wear. So in 2012  I decided to “ramp it up” a little bit so that I could have a craft that could last for a few more years.

I still used Lacy’s Last Supper Downloads, which are available for free on her site. Izzy (who was 13) colored them with magic markers and then cut them out. Then we glued them to a heavier Foam-Sheets. We cut the foam then to match the form of each apostle.

When the apostles and Jesus were all colored and cut out, I had Rosie color the table wear.

I also used that heavy craft foam to cover the table that Mr. Pete then graciously cut and put together. This gave the piece some weight and was more stable than the egg cartons suggested in the original instructions. That was important because I want to be able to save and use this piece for years to come.
last supper craft 005

This piece is gracing our built in buffet in the dining room this weekend. I also think that this would be a good craft to do for a First Communion centerpiece.

Here are our results –

last supper craft 001

last supper craft 002

last supper craft 003

last supper craft 004

Lacy also supplies the names for the apostles so we  wrote them on the back.

last supper craft 007

Now you can imagine that since this craft is four years old and has been stored in a closet when not in use, it gets a little beat up.  So this year I also reinforced the figures that had started to bend forward, with craft sticks hot glued to the back.

Holy week 2016 004

Rosie is 12 this year, and she has been making peg saints for a while now.  She had already created a few of the apostles, but last year she set about making the rest of them. She painted each one by hand and included the symbol for each one on their figure.

For example, here is Judas holding his sack of silver.

Holy week 2016 001

She researched each saint on the internet and tried to be true to the figures she saw there – although St. Simon is based more on the character from Jesus Christ Superstar!

Last year, she set about making their table too. We bought wooden tables for a few dollars at Michaels. Mr. Pete removed the legs for us. Then Rosie crafted cups, plates, and food out of modeling clay that we were able to harden in the oven. When those were done she glued them to the table. We have the saints set around them pretty much as the painting depicts.

One thing for certain, she will never forget who the original 12 apostles were!
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Last supper peg saints

Last supper peg saints

Last supper peg saints

Last supper peg saints

Last supper peg saints

OK – yes I realize that these are fish on these plates instead of a passover lamb- which my old testament teaching husband quickly pointed out and that overlooked because I thought the fish she made were so cute! So around the house we are laughing that this is the Last Lunch – and that lamb was served later for supper.
Last supper peg saints

Holy Thursday
The Learning Experience of Holy Week
Holy Thursday – Catholic Online
Maudy Thursday
Catholic Culture

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