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Maundy Thursday Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Gospel according to John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YOU CAN IMAGINE MY AMAZEMENT WHEN I READ IN THE JOURNAL/CONSTITUTION LAST SATURDAY AND SAW THAT ARCHBISHOP DONAHUE HAD SENT A LETTER TO ALL ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN THE ATLANTA ARCHDIOCESE SAYING THAT WOMEN AND CHILDREN WE NOT TO TAKE PART IN THE FOOT WASHING THIS YEAR. INSTEAD, EACH PRIEST WAS TO SELECT TWELVE MEN, REPRESENTING THE TWELVE DISCIPLES, TO HAVE THEIR FEET WASHED IN THE SERVICE. THERE WAS A HUE AND CRY ABOUT THIS LETTER FROM THE WOMEN. BUT PRIESTS WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO DISOBEY THEIR BISHOP. ON READING THIS I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO MY BIBLE TO READ AGAIN THIS PASSAGE FROM JOHN’S GOSPEL. MY CONCLUSION WAS THAT IF ONE LOOKED AT THE SITUATION IN STRICT TERMS, IT WAS CLEAR THAT JESUS DID ONLY WASH THE FEET OF THE TWELVE AND COMMENDED THEM TO DO LIKEWISE. THIS MORNING ONE OF OUR PARISHIONERS ASKED ME WHAT MY TAKE WAS ON THIS. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT IT SEEMED TO ME THAT JESUS HAD ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM IN INCLUSIVE TERMS. HE DIDN’T EXCLUDE, AND HAD THERE BEEN OTHERS AROUND THAT EVENING HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE WASHED THEIR FEET AS WELL. IN A FEW MINUTES EACH ONE OF US WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OUR FEET WASHED AND TO WASH THE FEET OF ANOTHER IN MEMORY OF WHAT JESUS DID THAT NIGHT BEFORE HE WAS CRUCIFIED. I MIGHT ADD THAT WE ARE “BLESSED TO BE EPISCOPALIANS” AND ALL ARE INCLUDED. I BELIEVE THAT CHRIST COMES TO US TONIGHT IN THE PERSON OF THAT FRIEND, OR FAMILY MEMBER OR PERHAPS SOMEONE WE DON’T EVEN KNOW, WHO WILL KNEEL BEFORE US WITH A BASIN OF WATER AND A TOWEL. WE WILL TAKE OFF OUR SHOES AND SOCKS OPENING OURSELVES TO HIS PRESENCE. IT’S AN AWKWARD MOMENT FOR MANY OF US. OFTEN OUR FEET AREN’T THE MOST CLAMOROUS PARTS OF OUR BODIES. BUNIONS AND BLISTERS AND DIRTY TOENAILS MAY NOT BE SOMETHING WE WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO SEE. BUT IN HUMILITY WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE SERVED BY HIM. AND THEN WE WILL SERVE ANOTHER. AS WE PUT OUR SHOES AND SOCKS BACK ON, LET’S THINK ABOUT WHAT JESUS WAS HOPING FOR IN HIS DISCIPLES AND US. WHAT IS IT THAT HE IS ASKING OF US? WHAT DOES THIS VERY ACT POINT US TOWARD AS “SERVANTS OF GOD” AS THE OLD HYMN PROCLAIMS. TO PUT IT VERY SIMPLY, IT SEEMS HE IS ASKING US TO HEIGHTEN OUR AWARENESS OF THE NEEDS OF THIS WORLD AND TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MEET THEM. A TALL ORDER! BEFORE WE CAN DO A GOOD JOB OF THIS, WE MUST FIRST DISCERN WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. WHAT ARE OUR GIFTS, THE THINGS WE DO WELL? WHAT DO WE HAVE THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE? HOW MIGHT WE SERVE THOSE THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US, WAITING TO BE HELPED? AND THEN WE MUST DISCERN WHO IT IS THAT WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE. AT TIMES I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW, AND THOSE I DON’T KNOW, BUT KNOW ABOUT. AND WHAT DO THEY NEED THAT I HAVE TO GIVE? IT MAY BE MONEY IN SOME CASES, BUT MORE OFTEN IT SEEMS TO BE LOVE AND CARE, AND ALONG WITH THAT IS PRAYER. AND I GUESS THE ONLY ANSWER TO THAT “WHO, ” IS TO WASH THE FEET OF THE PEOPLE THAT GOD PUTS IN FRONT OF ME, GIVING THEM WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER. AND WHAT OFTEN SEEMS TO OCCUR IS THAT HAVING ONE’S FEET WASHED OFTEN FREES THAT ME TO GO OUT AND CARE FOR OTHERS. I KNOW A PRIEST WHO THINKS THAT FOOT WASHING SHOULD BE COUNTED AS ONE OF OUR CHURCH’S SACRAMENTS , “AN OUTWARD AND VISIBLE SIGN OF INWARD AND SPIRITUAL GRACE.” IT’S A RADICAL THOUGHT, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS THINKING ABOUT. WHEN WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S GRACE IN OUR LIVES AND ARE EMPOWERED TO RESPOND TO OTHERS, THERE IS AN OUTWARD AND VISIBLE SIGN. CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF SERVANT HOOD INVITES US. AND LIKE HIM I PRAY THAT WE MAY TAKE THE ROLE OF A SERVANT IN WHATEVER DIRECTION OUR WASHED FEET, AND OUR LOVING GOD LEADS US. Rev. Ruth T. Healy - Associate Priest
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