Bible Study: Exodus 12, 1 to 14. 1st
Corinthians 11, 23 to 26 and John 13, 1 to 15.
Today’s celebration is one that transports
us through the entire Old and New Testament. It is a celebration that unites us
with our fore-fathers in the faith who were freed from the land of Captivity
under the leadership of Moses. In today’s celebration, we are privileged to
share in that same supper of the unblemished lamb whose blood they had
sprinkled on their doorposts to free them from the angel of destruction. The only
difference now is that we now know that Jesus Christ is the lamb that our
fathers ate in the land of Egypt and it was his very blood that saved them from
destruction.
So today, we are gathered here not to
slaughter any animal but to eat the flesh of Jesus who has become the lamb of
our salvation. At the heart of our liturgy today is the celebration of Holy
Communion which would then be followed by the adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament. Today is our Passover. On this very day, Jesus is betrayed, this is
the night of his arrest. As the children of Israel kept vigil on the night of
Passover, Jesus and his disciples kept vigil at the garden of Gethsemane until
Judas and his men arrived to pick up Jesus.
So while we keep vigil this same
night, we adore the body of the lamb and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of
Jesus who is our Passover lamb. We reflect on how Jesus refused to resist
arrest but allowed himself to be led to death just like a lamb would do. We reflect
on the fact that this lamb, Jesus desires that we also become lambs for our
fellow brothers and sisters by imitating his humility and sacrifice.
On this very night when Jesus knew he
would soon be arrested, he was at table with his disciples, he suddenly rose
from table, took off his garment and tied the towel around himself. Wearing a
garment is a symbol of honour, respect and dignity. Taking off one’s clothes
means reducing one’s dignity to the level of a servant or a worthless person so
to say. This is why upon the return of the Prodigal Son, his father quickly
ordered that he should once again be clothed with a robe, a ring be placed on
his finger and sandals on his feet. Luke 15, 22. For Jesus to have taken off
his robes, it is a symbol of Jesus assuming the position of a servant, a
position less than that of a Son and a Master in the House.
Then Jesus poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was
tied around him. Jesus not only reduced his dignity before their eyes, he went
all the way to serve them. He was actually doing the job that only servants
would do and by so doing, Jesus hopes to teach us a lesson in humility. “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.” John 13, 14 to 15.
What exactly does it mean to wash the
feet of others? It means putting the needs of others before ourselves. It is being
humble and unselfish. It is thinking first of one’s neighbour before the self like
the Good Samaritan who abandoned his personal goals just to care for a man he saw
on the street who had been a victim of attack. Washing the feet of others means
that we are constantly looking for a way to solve the problems of others; that we
are constantly looking for how to clean their dirty sides rather than amuse
ourselves with it or simply gossip about what we know about them. Washing the
feet of others is sacrificing our time, our money and our resources to see that
things are well with people who may never even benefit us in the future.
Washing the feet of others means that
we accept to be servants rather than lords whenever we have people under us. Whatever
position we occupy in the society, we must never see ourselves as better or
luckier than anyone else instead we must see our position of authority as an
opportunity given to us by God to make life better for the people who are under
our charge. Washing others feet is not having to go around town with sirens
blasting mud water on the bodies of the common man in the street and trying to
overtake every other person as if the road was constructed only for you. Yes,
listen to me Governor, Senator or whatever you are, to wash others’ feet means
that you respect the man on the street who cannot afford a single square meal a
day.
Above all, washing other’s feet is
the willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice of our very lives for the sake of
brothers and sisters. It is becoming Passover lambs to others, letting go our
personal comforts, letting go of our dreams and plans in life, letting go of
our resources, our hard-earned money and even our possessions for the sake of
making life better for others. If Jesus gave us his very flesh to eat, and we
gladly do so at every mass, then we ought not to selfish people anymore. We ought
not to hold back anything from our neighbour, we ought not to even wait to be
asked before we give. It is a contradiction that we eat the flesh of Jesus and
we could still be stingy when see others in need. Jesus did not wait for us to
ask for his flesh and blood, he saw we needed it and gave it to us. We too
ought to give without waiting to be asked.
As the blood of the lamb saved the
people of Israel from destruction, Holy Communion saves us from death and
destruction. Let us always strive to be in the state of grace to receive the
body and blood of the lamb at every mass we attend so that we may be spared
from attacks of the evil one. Come let us share in the supper of the Lamb.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, teach me how to wash my
neighbours feet as you did. Amen.
God bless you. Good morning. Be
Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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