Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/ 1 Cor 11:23-26/ Jn 13:1-15
Today we begin the Church’s Holy Triduum – 3 days of intense prayer, reflection and worship.
It’s intense because as we journey through the suffering and death of Jesus and into His resurrection, God is also going to enter into the depths of our being, and to bring out the love that He has planted in us.
It is a love that we sometimes are unaware of, a love that we take for granted, a love that we forget to show.
So the gospel begins by saying that Jesus had always loved those who were His, and now He showed how perfect His love was.
And as we have heard earlier, He got up from the table and he began to wash His disciples’ feet.
But why of all things wash the disciples’ feet. Why not like, pray over them? (or give them some kind of anointing?)
Well obviously the disciples’ feet were not washed yet ; otherwise there was no need for it.
It was the customary practice to wash the feet, because of the dusty roads, before sitting down for a meal, and more so for the Passover meal.
Yet if the disciple’s feet were not washed then there was a reason.
Usually they would have taken turns to be the foot-washer.
But they were just waiting for one another to take on the humbling and lowly task of being the foot-washer.
And not willing to be the one, they just sat there, and see who would finally give in.
Well, to be the foot-washer is to admit that you have lost out and you are only fit to do the lowly and dirty stuff.
Yet Jesus turned this stand-off around, and used it to show what the Eucharist means.
So he began to wash their feet. Big rough fishermen’s feet, tax collector’s feet, a Zealot’s feet, a doubter’s feet, the feet of a denier, the feet of a traitor.
Yet from their feet, He knew what was in their hearts.
There are feet that are not quite on the ground, indecisive, the kind that might give in to pressure, and speak of things like “I do not know him.”
There are feet that are tapping on the ground, feet of a zealot. Nervous, yet eager, eager for reform, eager to even use force to get things done.
There are feet that are pulled back, not quite out in front, like the feet of a doubter.
There are feet that are firmly on the ground, yet feet that are cold. Something suspicious is within. The feet of a traitor.
Yet Jesus washed them all. And Jesus is also going to wash our feet, and He knows what is going on in our hearts.
And with the tenderness that He washes our feet, He too washes our hearts.
Our hearts that are burdened with fears and worries and anxieties.
Our hearts that are wounded with hurts and anger and resentment.
Our hearts that are drained of love and tired out with disappointments and bitterness.
Yes, Jesus washes our feet, in order to wash our hearts.
And do we understand why Jesus wants to do it?
Simply because He wants to give us an example, so that we may follow what He has done for us.
This is essentially what the Eucharist is all about.
That Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, so that in memory of Him, we too will do likewise, for others.
Do we understand this? When we begin to understand this, then we will know why Jesus wants to wash our feet, and we will know why He will even die for us in order to save us.
Then in memory of Him, we will do what He has done for us.
In memory of Him, we will also want to love and serve as Jesus our Master and Lord has shown us.