/ world today news/ On Maundy Thursday, the Last Supper is remembered, at which the sacrament of communion of this supper was instituted. Christ, bequeathing the new commandment of love to all, announced to his disciples that he would be betrayed.
Confused, the disciples asked who would do this. He also asked Judas, and Christ answered him so meekly that the others did not understand. Judas got up and went out, and they thought he was going to make purchases, because he was the treasurer. After dinner, Christ with the apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed until the traitor came. Usually on Thursday evening, Good Friday matins are served, when the so-called Twelve Gospels are read, i.e. the twelve excerpts from the Gospel, telling about Christ’s sufferings. On this day, the priests take the cross out of the altar, which symbolizes its carrying by Christ to Calvary. During the oil consecration, any willing lay person is anointed with oil of health.
According to tradition, Easter eggs are dyed early in the morning on Maundy Thursday or on Holy Saturday before the holiday.
On Maundy Thursday, the leaven is renewed and the dough for the Easter bread is kneaded. They bear the most diverse names in Bulgaria: Easter kravai, god’s pita, koshara, threshing machine, kvasnik, eggnog, plenitsa or doll. They are usually decorated with an odd number of red or white eggs and dough twisted around them. Women also prepare smaller Easter breads with a red egg in the middle, which are given to the first guest, the best men, and relatives.
Since ancient times, many cultures have associated the egg with the universe. The Persians, for example, believed that the Earth had hatched from a giant egg. Many peoples saw the egg as a symbol of rebirth in the spring. Eggs were painted, decorated and painted by Romans, Gauls, Persians and Chinese. After the emergence of Christianity, it began to be perceived as a symbol of the birth of man from nature. Red eggs are a symbol of Christ’s martyred blood.
On the morning of Maundy Thursday, Bishop Grigory of Branica will preside over the Holy Liturgy in the Metropolitan Cathedral “Holy Sunday”, after which the Great Candlemas will be celebrated.
On the evening of Maundy Thursday, the succession of the 12 Gospels will take place in the patriarchal cathedral-monument temple “St. Alexander Nevsky”. The service will be attended by His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan Neophyte of Sofia and the consecrated bishops Tikhon of Tiberiopolis and Grigoriy of Branitsky.
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