Last week saw a momentous occasion in the life of the town of Blackburn with Darwen.

When Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh came to the Cathedral for the ancient service of the Office for the Royal Maundy, she was following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ himself.

The Royal Maundy was established in the year 1210 when King John handed out the Maundy coins to people in need.

The monarch has followed this annual pattern for nearly one thousand years. Maundy is derived from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment and refers to Jesus's command 'I leave you a new commandment' (to love one another).

This celebration of service and care for each other gives us all inspiration to go and do likewise. Although the Royal Maundy relates to Christian service, the command to live and care for each other are integral to us as human beings and I believe are universal values.

There are countless opportunities to live out these values through looking out for our neighbours, volunteering in local organisations, schools, our faith communities and even in our local parks and services.

Here at the Cathedral through our outreach and exChange work, we are hoping to develop more creative ways to make an impact. There are exciting plans to start a community bakery and workshop space in the town centre, begin building homes for people in housing need and to grow vegetables in allotments.

All of these initiatives will utilise volunteers and trainees to build bridges and relationships between diverse groups, give a sense of self-worth and value and provide skills training and potential for job opportunities.

For me, the Maundy represents what is the best within all of us. We are the most fulfilled and happy when we are involved in our communities and interacting positively with our neighbours.

It is this fundamental need to be cared for and to care for others that ought to be cherished and celebrated. Perhaps Blackburn with Darwen could initiate its own special annual 'arte et laborum' event where we give thanks for all our contributions to the betterment of our communities. Fancy hats would be optional!

Canon Shannon