The attitude of our littleness
bowing down in front of the great is not yet an attitude of humility. It is
simply, an attitude to truth. But when the great bows down before our
littleness that is true humility - Monsignor Romano Guardini
Gospel text (Jn 13,1-15):
It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father, and as He had loved those who were his
own in the world, He would love them with perfect love. They were at supper and
the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to
betray. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as He
had come from God, He was going to God. So He got up from table, removed his
garment and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then He poured water
into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the
towel He was wearing.
When he came to Simon Peter, Simon said to him, «Why,
Lord, you want to wash my feet!». Jesus said, «What I am doing you cannot
understand now, but afterwards you will understand it». Peter replied, «You
shall never wash my feet». Jesus answered him, «If I do not wash you, you can
have no part with me». Then Simon Peter said, «Lord, wash not only my feet, but
also my hands and my head!». Jesus replied, «Whoever has taken a bath does not
need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though
not all of you». Jesus knew who was to betray him; because of this he said,
«Not all of you are clean».
When Jesus had finished washing their feet, He put
on his garment again, went back to the table and said to them, «Do you
understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are
right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet,
you also must wash one another's feet. I have just given you an example that as
I have done, you also may do».
The entire meaning of Lent, Holy
Thursday, the Easter Triduum, can be summed up in this sentence from the gospel
of John, "He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the
end," since it speaks about the entire content of the life and mission of Jesus
Christ; that is, to love his disciples and his brethren -- us, you, me,
humanity -- to the very end.
Can we fully understand what this
means? I would venture to say that no one can; not here, not at this moment in
time. It is certain however that the path to understanding is experience: it is
human life lived; it is the gift of self; it is sacrifice for love. In order to
progress along that path, we as Catholics must enter into the life of Christ
through daily prayer and the Sacraments, as fully and completely as is
possible. It is not something accomplished from the outside, looking in from a
distance. It is something we must do for real, now, totally -- it is to
be a first-hand and profoundly intimate experience.
A Christianity, which is lukewarm, may
try to give the impression that Christ has loved us, and now that he has done
that, it is over. But it is not over. It is not simply that Christ has loved;
it is that he continually, constantly and permanently loves. Christ
loves because He Is Love. Jesus heals, because he is the Love Who
Heals. He gives himself to us because his love is infinite, and infinite
love must by definition overflow all boundaries: it is uncontainable,
limitless, fiery and burning and all-encompassing and transforming. No one touched
by the love of Christ is ever the same. It changes you. Forever.
This night, our journey toward Calvary
begins in earnest. But so does our journey toward Easter. Holy Communion is
often referred to as “viaticum,” or food for the journey. Let us prepare to
receive that food, so we can begin that journey. A journey of struggle and of
faith. It is a journey that a billion others around the world are also
undertaking with us on this sacred night. We share it with them for one
beautiful and hopeful reason: we do this in remembrance of Him.
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