The Word God Spells

John 13: 1-15
Ex 12: 1-8, 11-14 / Ps 116: 12-13, 15-18 / 1 Cor 11: 23-26

You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.
(John 13:7)

Now we understand the reason why
This will culminate the time of Lent:
Our heart and soul Christ will purify
By ‘washing our feet’ when we repent.

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13: 1-15)

Reflection

In the previous chapter (12), we read about how Mary, the sister of Lazarus humbled herself by washing the feet of Jesus with perfume, then drying them with her hair. She did this out of a deep affection for her Master. A day or two later, Jesus repeated the same act of humility, washing the feet of His apostles to show His love for them, and at the same time to teach them the importance of humility in their mission of servant leadership. But more than these, this astonishing act was meant to deliver a message not only to His apostles but also to future Christian generations.

This washing of the feet of the apostles was one of the two last important acts of Jesus before He returned to the Father. In a figurative sense, this “washing” was meant to be a spiritual cleansing – an absolution, if you may, of the apostles’ sins before they could receive the sacred meal of the New Covenant. Jesus was therefore instituting the sacrament of Penance when He said, “You also should wash one another’s feet,” just as He would institute the other important sacrament of the Holy Eucharist later that evening. This is why it has become a part of our sacred tradition to go to confession — if we have committed grievous sin(s) – before we receive the Body of Christ in the holy communion of the Mass. We need to regularly “wash our feet” if we want to walk the Way of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, we submit to Your command that we must be cleansed and purified by Your Sacrament of Reconciliation, because “unless You wash us, we will have no part with You.” We submit to Your Covenant through all our priests and bishops, because they too bear the mandate that You have given to Your apostles. Amen.