Thursday, March 28, 2013

As I Have Done for You



On Holy Thursday we celebrate the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, during which we hear the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  Imagine the shock of the everyone present:  even the lowliest Jewish slave could not be required to wash the feet of another person.  So why does Jesus do this?

Well, on one level, it is an act of kindness, a final, tangible gift of Jesus’ loving care for those who had followed him and supported him throughout his ministry.  More importantly, in so doing, Jesus becomes the Servant of all.  His gesture is purifying, cleansing, wiping away any obstacles the disciples might have to communion, removing any iota of darkness so that their hearts might be open to his love.  Most importantly, when Jesus is done, he asks them to wash each other’s feet, following his example.  It is an injunction that we are called to take to heart today.

Jesus is the model of God’s Love, a Love that, in his absence, will rely for its embodiment on the disciples themselves.  As Christ’s body, they will be called to serve – as we are called to serve, humbly, reverently.  To wash another’s feet is perhaps the most intimate gesture of hospitality possible.  It requires that we love beyond all boundaries, with open hearts.  It requires that we be God's Love... for the world.

Music video source:  Dan Schutte, "As I Have Done for You"

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