Thursday, April 5, 2007

Maundy Thursday and Spring Cleaning

"I always thought it was 'Monday-Thursday', you know, another of those great Christian paradoxes," quoth one of my friends, back when we were all new to this liturgical thing. But no, "Maundy" as in "mandatum" as in "command". I think. Although I was never sure if that command was the "a new command I give you: love one another" or the "Do this" of the Lord's supper. I suspect the latter - maybe someone can enlighten me? Anyway, in both cases, certainly a high holy day. (And that's not even touching Passover!)

So, the best part of my day today was spent spring cleaning. Out of the four main rooms of my house, I got one completely done. But that made me so happy.

And - I haven't quite gotten this worked out yet - but it felt somehow like the culmination of my Lenten fasting. Like I was getting to see it worked out in real life. As if in moving and shifting and picking up and sweeping out that room, I was getting to see how my heart looked after six weeks of being moved and shifted and picked up and swept by the unfamiliar rhythms of Lent.

I dunno. There's just something so good about a clean room, a room that's been swept from the baseboards out.

The only part of the room I didn't get through was the closet. I hope that's not deeply symbolic of anything - eep! But I'm planning on getting through that too before Easter Sunday, so maybe it's okay.

:D

A good Maundy Thursday to you,
Jessica

p.s. Okay, Wikipedia has it that the "mandatum" does refer to the command to love one another, the whole phrase being: "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos": "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." Cool! That's something to remember all year long.

2 comments:

Elena Johnston said...

I've just been pondering how very Passover-appropriate spring cleaning is. You know... getting rid of all the "leaven" that slows us down on our journey to the Promised Land.

=)

Julie said...

I loved this post. I did some spring cleaning myself today. Have a blessed Easter.