Holy Thursday

March 29, 2018

Readings:

First Reading – Exodus 12: 1-8

Psalm 116

Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

Gospel reading according to John (13: 1-15)

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Homily:  The Lord Supper and the Washing of his Disciples’ Feet

It is time for Jesus to offer up himself to the Father; he knows the hour has come to pass in this world.  “Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father” (John 13: 1).  Even though he loved all those living in the world and still he loves them until the end of his life, “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end” (John 13: 1), but one person escaped from his love, Judas.  He has no more control to his fate for Satan already entered to him.  “The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over” (John 13: 2).  And Judas under the control of Satan was already decided to sell out Jesus, his Master and Teacher

“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” (John 13: 3-5).  He started washing his disciples’ feet and dried it with towel on his waist.  When he came to Peter to wash his feet Peter reacted.  “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 my 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” (John 13: 6-11).  Peter did not want to be washed by his Master and Teacher but after he was told by Jesus that he has no inheritance from him, he wanted to be bathing from head to toes.  Really, Peter was so funny and aggressive and sometimes dramatic.

Maundy (from the Vulgate mandatum meaning "command"), or the Washing of the Feet is taken from the Latin form of the commandment of Christ that we should imitate His loving humility in the washing of the feet (John 13:14–17). The term mandatum (maundy), therefore, was applied to the rite of foot-washing on this day of the Christian Holy Week called Maundy Thursday  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_washing).  John recounted Jesus' performance of this washing of feet and its meaning.   He instructs his disciples as well as we: “So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said, ‘Did 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” (John 13: 12-15).  To wash one another’s feet is to obey Jesus’ command, and to follow what he has done as our model and shown not only to his disciples but even to us his followers.