Holy Thursday

Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper

Today's Readings:
Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Ps 116:12-13, 15-18
1 Cor 11:23-26
John 13:1-15

http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/032008.shtml

Finding Jesus in dirty feet

Why did Jesus wash the feet of his disciples in tonight's Gospel reading? Not because they were too lazy to handle their own hygiene and as their servant he would make life easy for them! Rather, he gave them (and us) a model to imitate.

We want Jesus to make our lives easier. Isn't that the purpose behind many of our prayers? Well, we get what we ask for, but maybe not the way we're hoping. When we imitate Jesus, it's the way we cope with the difficulties of life that becomes easier.

Have you washed anyone's feet lately? Maybe you haven't literally soaped up a friend's smelly feet as a sign of your unconditional love, but I'm sure you have given of yourself in a foot-washing way.

To wash the feet of others is to love them even when they don't deserve your love.

To wash the feet of others is to do good to them even if they don't return the favor.

To wash the feet of others is to consider their needs as important as your own.

To wash the feet of others is to forgive them even if they don't say, "I'm sorry."

To wash the feet of others is to serve them even when the task is unpleasant.

To wash the feet of others is to let them know you care when they feel downtrodden or burdened.

To wash the feet of others is to be generous with what you have.

To wash the feet of others is to turn the cheek instead of retaliating when you're treated unfairly.

To wash the feet of others is to make adjustments in your plans to serve their needs.

To wash the feet of others is to serve them with humility and not with any hope of reward.

Notice the posture of Jesus. He knelt. Imagine Jesus kneeling in front of you now, lowering himself to the level of your feet and tenderly ministering to your needs. He is in fact doing this, right now, today. And he does it again and again, every day!

He is asking you to go and do likewise: Be the hands of Jesus that wash the feet of the people around you.

By serving others, we gain understanding of what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago — and we become more observant of how he's ministering to us right now. We meet Jesus in the dirty feet that we lower ourselves to clean.