[Pearls Ep 166: Preparing for Sunday.]
We pray you’re having a blessed Holy Week.
In this week’s Pearls of the Interior Life we offer reflections for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter – and revealing why we are an Easter People, but with a Good Friday Mission.
Beginning today with Holy Thursday, and Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.
What’s more, just before Jesus begins, scripture tells us that satan enters into Judas (see the passage in the postscript).
Two great scripture commentators explain that the washing of the feet is Christ’s example of the type of service we are all call to:
Cornelius a Lapide: Then Jesus puts water into a bason and begins to wash the feet of his disciples, and wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Saint Cyprian, Theophylact, and Euthymius note that Christ did all these things by Himself, without the aid or help of any one, to teach us how attentively and carefully we ought to serve others.
George Leo Haydock: And though he went out from God, and returns to him, yet here he condescends to perform the office, not of the Lord God of the universe, but of a man and a slave; (St. Augustine) and this, says St. Chrysostom, that he might tread all pride under foot: doing every thing himself on this occasion, to teach us with what eagerness we ought to perform the duties of humility.
St. John Chrysostom also makes particular note of how startling it was that Jesus even washed the feet of the man who was about to betray him. And Venerable Fulton Sheen provides a summary of the mystical meaning of the foot washing:
The scene was a summary of His Incarnation. Rising up from the Heavenly Banquet in intimate union of nature with the Father, He laid aside the garments of His glory, wrapped about His Divinity the towel of human nature which He took from Mary; poured the laver of regeneration which is His Blood shed on the Cross to redeem men, and began washing the souls of His disciples and followers through the merits of His death, Resurrection and Ascension.
We hope you have time today to enter into this scripture passage. Be amazed by Jesus’ ability to set aside, in His mind, the horrible events that are about to unfold, and instead focus on His disciples.
And then place yourself among them, and realize that Jesus is thinking nothing of Himself. He is completely focused on you, and saying, “look at My example, this is the life I created you for.”
A blessed Holy Thursday to you –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: John 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.”