Holy Thursday
The Lord’s Supper
Gospel John 13:1-15
Now he showed how perfect his love was!
It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.
They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over.
You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’
When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’
In a loving listening, words are not necessary, because silence also speaks and communicates love.
My friends, in this Gospel from Saint John we witness an
‘Eternal Love’ expressed, by Jesus. Jesus wanted to show his disciples how perfect the depth of that love was. And he did what no other leader would do!
Jesus, took a towel and knelt at the feet of each of his disciples and was their feet, dried and kissed them.
How many other world leaders would do that? Pope Francis, yes, any others?
This expression of pure love is the love that Jesus, loves you and I with. Jesus love is an, ‘Eternal Love’. And it’s this ‘Eternal Love’ that Jesus leaves us in this ‘Eucharistic Meal’ His body and His blood given freely out of pure love for you and I.
Our hearts and souls should be on fire with this ‘Eternal Love’. As you celebrate this holy night in your own home, allow your heart to be open to receive this
‘Eternal Love’ in a way that you have not done before.
As you celebrate this holy night, whether you are alone or with your family experience this ‘Eternal Love’ that Jesus is imparting to you anew and allow that experience to fill your heart and home and flow over into the lives of your families and friends.
I leave you with these two thoughts
• How do you live the Eucharist?
• Do you know how to see the face of Christ who asks to be served and loved in the poor?
Fr John