The Lord’s Last Supper, The Washing of the Feet

The Lord Jesus has gathered with His disciples in the upper room to share with them the Passover meal. Undoubtedly the one year old male and unblemished lamb had been prepared. This in commemoration of the blood of the lamb affixed to the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses of the Jews so that when Yahweh passed through Egypt at midnight they would be passed over and kept from death.

The Lord commanded that this feast be observed annually in perpetuity by the Jews. This Christian feast of the Lord’s Supper is the observance of the establishment of the new and everlasting covenant of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and the following day on the Cross of Calvary. That exact sacrifice is enacted in each holy sacrifice of the mass that is celebrated by a priest. We are present at Calvary and Calvary is present to us.

The gospel tonight is about the Lord’s washing of the feet of those who would become apostles and priests by the Lord’s consecration of the bread and wine the institution of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and saying to them “Do this in memory of me.”, the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

“He began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.”

In the dialogue with Peter, we can see two distinct elements: the moral and the sacramental. “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” -- The sacramental and “… so you are clean but not all, for he knew who would betray him.” --The moral.

“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” If you do not accept my love, my sacrament of love, this reminds us of the new commandment, “You are to love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus is down on His knees washing the feet of His beloved disciples and the humility of His actions will remain in their memories when they have to confront trials later on. Their leader, teacher, master and their God washed their feet.

Jesus has said “remain in me as I remain in you.”

I have memories of getting down on my knees with my children when they were small and playing with them and letting them climb all over me. We formed a bond or love and trust. So Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me and do not hinder them for such is the kingdom of heaven.”

The moral element of this action is in Judas who absented himself who was loved by Jesus, was picked as an apostle but ran away from love, from the love God had for him. “So you are clean, but not all.”

Judas had expected the long awaited Messiah to be a warrior of prince who would be established the kingdom to Israel. He wanted a post of importance in this kingdom. But when he saw how things were going, that Jesus the Messiah spoke of another kingdom that was not of this world, his pride and ambition drove him away from love, Jesus’ goodness convicted him of his evilness, and so he was not clean and he would have no part with Christ in his inheritance.

St Paul reminds us of Jesus words at the consecration of the bread and wine into His body and blood. “Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert and they died. But I am the true bread come down from heaven whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

The culmination of all that Jesus did and said will take place in this Holy Triduum which begins tonight, His Passion. And tomorrow His giving up of Himself on the Cross for love. So we can live. So that we can be clean and live in Him.

The key is to let Jesus love us, to open our hearts to Him remembering that His kingdom is not of this world.

The inheritance Jesus speaks of reminds us of the sacrament of baptism which washes us clean of the stain of original sin which like the other six sacraments received its power to save via the grace which comes from the humble, submissive and obedient love for the father’s will by the Son Jesus’ death on the cross.

Judas, whom Jesus loved, was the one at table tonight who was not clean, the passage says, “The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand Him over.”

In the forty days of lent, we have seen Jesus tempted three times by Satan, tempted to abandon His mission to serve the prince of this world.

Earlier, mean Jesus had told the disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. It was impetuous Peter who said, “No, not you Lord.” But Christ called Peter a devil. God the Father’s will must be done as it was by Jesus and as it must be done by each one of us in our own unique lives.

Tonight is the beginning of the struggle for life which is everlasting. On Sunday we will be victorious through Christ who rises from the tomb.