Exodus 12:1-8.11-14; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John
13:1-15
The evangelist John makes a point of showing his readers that Jesus is the absolute Master of his own destiny. He knew all that was happening and all that was about to happen.
- He knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father.
- He knew that the Father had put everything into his hands.
- He knew who was going to betray him.
- At the moment you do not know what I am doing.
- Later you will understand.
- Do you understand what I have done to you?
But Peter, at least, understands
something. He absolutely understands the radical humility of Jesus expressed in
the act of washing his feet. The Master’s humility embarrasses him and that is
why he recoils from it – just as he recoiled at the news that Jesus was to
suffer and die. Never, Lord!" he
said. "This shall never happen to you! (Mtt 16:22)
He recoils because he loves his Master, but he doesn’t yet see that he must step aside and allow Jesus to show us the depths and perfection of his love for us - a love which lowers itself to reach the very extremities of our sinfulness - to show that we are loved even there. Peter’s love, admirable and sincere though it was, still needed to be stretched, educated, purified.
Jesus’ matter-of-fact reply to Peter’s well-meaning but out of place protestation is: If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.
At the words you can have nothing in common with me Peter hastily reconsiders. But imagine if Peter had been stubborn and proud, and had continued to refuse – what a disaster that would have been!
Can you imagine how anyone could refuse to be ‘made clean’?
And yet, that’s exactly what happens when people refuse to go to Reconciliation after many years of having been away from the sacrament. They tell me, ‘I’ll be right thanks, Father, just give me Communion.’ At such a moment I feel what I can only describe as - anguish.
Judas had his feet washed but was still unclean. Jesus says: 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.’ It was as though Judas had just made a ‘bad confession’. He had allowed the Lord to clean his feet but not his heart.
Apparently Judas did not receive the sacred body and blood. The bread that Jesus would give to his Apostles as his own Body was broken off from the loaf and saved till the end of the supper. This bread was not ‘dipped’. The bread which Jesus gave to Judas was from an earlier phase of the supper in which a piece of bread was dipped in the sauce with bitter herbs.
I believe it would have been unthinkable that Jesus would allow this most Sacred Sacrament to be blasphemed at its very institution.
On this night, many centuries after the Last Supper which we are again about to celebrate, we find ourselves here in this small gathering. You have listened to my words and I presume that you have understood. If you have, you would be asking yourself, 'Have I let the Lord wash my feet? I am about to receive him in Holy Communion. Have I allowed him to kneel before me and take away the grime from my soul in Confession? Am I clean? Or am I one of those to whom the Lord is referring when he says: Though not all of you are?'
Let us conclude with the Prayer over the Offerings:
He recoils because he loves his Master, but he doesn’t yet see that he must step aside and allow Jesus to show us the depths and perfection of his love for us - a love which lowers itself to reach the very extremities of our sinfulness - to show that we are loved even there. Peter’s love, admirable and sincere though it was, still needed to be stretched, educated, purified.
Jesus’ matter-of-fact reply to Peter’s well-meaning but out of place protestation is: If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.
At the words you can have nothing in common with me Peter hastily reconsiders. But imagine if Peter had been stubborn and proud, and had continued to refuse – what a disaster that would have been!
Can you imagine how anyone could refuse to be ‘made clean’?
And yet, that’s exactly what happens when people refuse to go to Reconciliation after many years of having been away from the sacrament. They tell me, ‘I’ll be right thanks, Father, just give me Communion.’ At such a moment I feel what I can only describe as - anguish.
Judas had his feet washed but was still unclean. Jesus says: 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.’ It was as though Judas had just made a ‘bad confession’. He had allowed the Lord to clean his feet but not his heart.
Apparently Judas did not receive the sacred body and blood. The bread that Jesus would give to his Apostles as his own Body was broken off from the loaf and saved till the end of the supper. This bread was not ‘dipped’. The bread which Jesus gave to Judas was from an earlier phase of the supper in which a piece of bread was dipped in the sauce with bitter herbs.
I believe it would have been unthinkable that Jesus would allow this most Sacred Sacrament to be blasphemed at its very institution.
On this night, many centuries after the Last Supper which we are again about to celebrate, we find ourselves here in this small gathering. You have listened to my words and I presume that you have understood. If you have, you would be asking yourself, 'Have I let the Lord wash my feet? I am about to receive him in Holy Communion. Have I allowed him to kneel before me and take away the grime from my soul in Confession? Am I clean? Or am I one of those to whom the Lord is referring when he says: Though not all of you are?'
Let us conclude with the Prayer over the Offerings:
Grant us, O Lord, we pray,
that we may participate worthily in these mysteries,
for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated
the work of our redemption is accomplished.
that we may participate worthily in these mysteries,
for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated
the work of our redemption is accomplished.
