Read a March 27, 2013, National Catholic Register post on answering the questions about Holy Thursday.

Read an April 10, 2004, Boston Globe story describing how Roman Catholic Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley declined to wash the feet of women on Holy Thursday, saying that Jesus had only male disciples.

Read a March 28, 2013, article on the Church of England’s modern twist of foot-washing for Maundy Thursday.

Learn about the history and activities for Maundry Thursday in this Catholic Online article.

Read an article on the history of foot-washing (and the connection between this ceremony and baptism) from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Read about Tenebrae services and their recreation of the emotional aspects of the passion story on the Rev. Ken Collins’ web site.

Joan Halifax is the author of Fruitful Darkness: A Journey Through Buddhist Practice and Tribal Wisdom (Grove Press, 2004). She is the founder of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, N.M.

Martin Lowenthal is the founder and director of the Dedicated Life Institute in Newton, Mass. He is also the author of Dawning of Clear Light: A Western Approach to Tibetan Dark Retreat (Hampton Roads, 2003).

The Jewish Outreach Institute is an independent, national organization that works to bring unaffiliated and intermarried families closer to the Jewish community.