Maundy Thursday and The Godfather Part II
Three brief scenes with echoes of this key part of the Jesus story.
Maundy Thursday. You’ve heard of it, but what is it? In the final days of Lent, an old English word meaning “spring,” we get this festival day of Holy Week. “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum novum or “a new commandment,” and “Thursday” comes from, well, Thursday. The term is inspired by Jesus’s words to his disciples in the Gospel of John 13:34-35 when he tells them:
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Every church brings something a little different to the table for Maundy Thursday. As I thought about it this year, there are three elements that I find to be staples of this festival day, and I’m reminded of all three in The Godfather Part II (1974), one of the greatest films of all time:
Maundy Thursday: An Exploration of Forgiveness
Jesus does a new thing: he gives all the disciples the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Not just his favorites or the most studious or the most fruitful. He gives this gift of new life to all of his disciples. He tells Simon Peter, you will deny me, and he still gives this gift. He tells Judas, you will betray me, and he still gives this gift. That’s who Jesus is. That is not who Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II.
20 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve disciples, 21 and while they were eating he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”
- Matthew 26:25
33 Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” - Matthew 26:33-34
When Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) deduces his older brother, Fredo (John Cazale), betrayed the “family business,” he is distraught. He finally confronted Fredo that he knows the truth: “You broke my heart.” Will Michael be able to forgive such a betrayal? One of the strongest themes of the entire Godfather trilogy is the challenge of forgiveness. Jesus forgives. Can Michael? Can we?! It’s often easier said than done.
I wrote about this scene extensively on July 3, 2024, take a look:
Maundy Thursday: An Exploration of Servanthood
In the Gospel of John, Jesus welcomes all of the disciples to their gathering (there’s that pesky “all” again!) by washing their feet. Though he is the master, he does a servant’s job, and tells them they are to do likewise. In The Godfather Part II, Michael mistakes doing a service to his mother for mercy.
12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
- John 13:12-17 NRSVue
Michael declares no harm shall come to Fredo. At least, so long as their mother (Morgana King) is alive. That is not forgiveness or mercy or a service to others. It is self-serving. Michael avoids confronting his mother with the truth — not that Fredo betrayed the family, but that Michael cannot forgive. Jesus intimately washes the discples’ feet. Michael intimately hugs Fredo — then gives his “associate” a look that makes even a stone-cold killer wince!
Maundy Thursday: An Exploration of Togetherness
While the Gospel of John does its own thing (it always does!), the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke depict the Last Supper. I’ve always loved how their “Last Supper” is also our “First Supper” of Holy Communion! Jesus gathers his friends at the table to break bread, then offers them something unexpected. In the finale of The Godfather Part II, the sons gather at the table, awaiting their father, when Michael tells them something unexpected.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - Matthew 26:26-28 NRSVue
In this flashback scene that reunites several characters at the table, Michael tells his older brothers Sonny (James Caan) and Fredo, and his adopted brother Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) that he’s quitting college and joined the Marines. Like Jesus giving the gift of Holy Communion changes spiritual practices forever, Michael’s decision will change the dynamic of his family forever. As he recalls this memory, days after he has made his final decision on Fredo’s fate, one wonders what he thinks of a critical moment at that table. Only one person congratulated him: Fredo.
When I write R-Rated Movie Club entries, sometimes I see characters who make decisions exactly like scripture would teach us to do. They embody the teachings of Jesus or they reflect what the best of faith in action or repentance or belief can do. This time, we see Michael Corleone do the exact opposite. This juxtaposition, to me, adds to the lamenting song that is The Godfather trilogy. It is an American tragedy.
If you go to a church tonight for a Maundy Thursday worship service, you’ll find elements you don’t often find on a Sunday. These services tend to offer a special level of engagement, often with spiritual practices or other interactive elements. There is likely Holy Communion (a.k.a. The Last Supper or Eucharist), from the Gospel of Matthew 26:17-30. You may even serve one another, if you like, as these can sometimes be smaller, more intimate gatherings. Often there is a ritual of handwashing or foot washing, from the Gospel of John 13:1-17, affirming a desire to come clean and live out faith in action. I love a good Maundy Thursday worship service, and I hope you’ll consider finding one in your area.
Thanks for reading, sharing, and subscribing. God’s peace and good movies to you!
Spoiler alert. (I have never seen Godfather Part II. I’m the worst.)