What a special, holy night we remember! Each of the four gospel writers tells the story of Jesus’ last meal with his closest friends. Clearly, it was a pivotal moment, one the disciples relived every time they gathered to celebrate Eucharist.
John, the beloved disciple, talks often about Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6). So why is the institution of the Eucharist absent from John’s account of the Last Supper? Why does he tell only its prelude, how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet before the meal?
The reason is that the foot washing lays bare the unconditional love Jesus has for his disciples and all people—the love that stands behind his gift of the Eucharist. Unless we encounter that love and let it transform us, even our celebration of Mass can leave us feeling dry and empty. We can feel as if there is no power in the sacrament to change our lives.
John builds up to this event. He reminds us that Jesus was fully aware of his destiny and that he held all power in his hands. One might expect this preface to lead to a public proclamation of the kingdom, a call to arms, or at least a commissioning of the disciples. Instead, John tells us that Jesus laid all this down and knelt before each disciple to do the work of the most menial servant.
Jesus’ example is powerful. No task is too lowly, too hard, or too meaningless for a lover. Jesus saw a need, and he set aside his dignity to meet it in a very personal way. We follow his example when love leads us to do the same, whether it’s splashing water on a toddler at the beach, gently cleaning a child’s scraped knee, washing a teenager’s car, or wiping the brow of a dying parent or friend.
In the meal that we relive on this holy night, Jesus’ love comes into us and empowers us to be this kind of servant, this kind of lover. So watch with him closely tonight. Keep your eyes on his love, and see how that love changes you over the next three days.
“Jesus, how you love each of us! May I never take your sacrifice for granted or miss an opportunity to extend that love to those around me.”
Exodus 12:1-8,11-14; Psalm 116:12-13,15-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26