12 May 2022
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
There are some accounts in Sacred Scripture that can become so familiar that it’s possible to become desensitized to their significance. The washing of the feet is one such instance in which Jesus turns conventional human rationale on its head as He reveals the mind of God to the Apostles. One reason that so many of Jesus’ contemporaries had such difficulty accepting that He was the promised Messiah was that they had such a hard time fitting Him into the preconceived archetypes that they envisioned of one who would come in earthly glory, strength, and splendor after the manner of a conventional king.
Jesus, however, did quite the opposite throughout His earthly life. He chose to be born into poverty and claimed no honors, position, power, or privilege among men, despite the fact that He was their Creator and Sustainer. In washing the feet of his disciples, He intentionally humbled Himself in order to establish a new standard of conduct for humanity in that we should seek to serve others rather than to be served ourselves. Let us be mindful as we go about our daily lives and examine our motives for the projects that we pursue. Whose glory are we seeking? Whose interests are we serving? Do we seek to give as often as we seek to receive? And are our words and actions ultimately oriented towards lifting up our brothers and sisters and bringing them closer to God? Let us pray to God that we might always seek to imitate Him in all that we say and do.