Leaf from an Antiphonary, with the Initial A ("Amicus")

The Maundy Thursday celebration during Holy Week included the text found in this antiphonary leaf. This feast day celebrated the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper, in which Christ washed the feet of his apostles before sharing a final meal with them. The text on this page refers to the kiss of Judas, which betrayed Christ to the Roman soldiers who had come to arrest him. These lyrics were appropriate for the Maundy Thursday celebration, as Jesus had predicted his betrayal by one of the apostles during the Last Supper. It is not clear if the male and female figures in the large initial “A” relate to the text.