“The Divine Heart is an ocean full of all good things, wherein poor souls can cast all their needs; it is an ocean full of joy to drown all our sorrows, an ocean of humility to drown our folly, an ocean of mercy to those in distress, an ocean of love in which to submerge our poverty.”
– St. Margaret Mary (Holy Thursday, the beginning to the Triduum, when Christ revealed the fullness of divine love. Open your heart to receive from Him this
day.) |
Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26 Jn 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put
everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” Reflection on the Scriptures
With his death drawing near, I would imagine Jesus had mixed emotions. He might
have felt sadness. He might have felt a slight apprehension. He might have felt even a little bit angry. He might have felt heartbroken. Those feelings would be normal, as it is part of the human experience of the thought of death and dying. On the other hand, he might have felt a sense of hopefulness as he understood what must happen and the possible fruits of his sacrifice. It was what Jesus did while waiting to be taken away to his death that caught my attention. Jesus tended to those he loved who were close to him. He spent time with them. He shared a meal with them. He washed their feet. Yes, he washed the part of them that touches the ground and gets dirty repeatedly throughout the day. It so happens that the
feet are less likely to be cleaned properly without the help of another. Could Jesus be prompting us to humbly touch the messiest part of others and tend to them with care? Could Jesus be prompting us to allow others to forgive us and have the humility to receive that forgiveness? Could Jesus be prompting us to take off our garments of pride, properness, and status and just use the absorbent towel of love to soak up and forgive the mistakes and errors of those we encounter? Could Jesus be
showing us what it takes to love without borders, conditions, or social acceptability? Could Jesus be showing us what it really takes to be in an authentic relationship with others?
-by Vivian Amu
Proverbs for Perspective and Spiritual Living by Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min. From Pathways to Serenity, 1989, Liguori Publications; reprinted by Contemplative Ministries, Inc., 2013 (Minor editing applied.)
- https://shalomplace.com/view/pathview.html Included in Light for the Christian Journey, 2020: Contemplative Ministries, Inc.
https://shalomplace.com/view/light-journey.html
II. Awareness
1. Are you at home? If not, then who is?
2. God is with you, loving you now. Receive, then, the courage to open your eyes and start moving!
3. In him you live and move and have your being. If you wish to see God, you need simply open your eyes.
4. Life means placing one foot in front of the other, walking on this earth.
5. One moment at a time, walking in eternity.
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