Holy Thursday: the joy of service

Here is the reflection I shared with those who came to begin the celebration of the Paschal Triduum with us tonight.

The joy of the feast

In the evening hours of this day, we have begun the celebration of the Easter Triduum.  After having spent six weeks preparing our hearts through the disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we have finally arrived at this moment – which is actually one celebration spread over three days.  In the coming days, many of us will celebrate by gathering with family members and friends around a table where we will share a meal, tell the stories of our lives and give thanks to God.

The book of Exodus recounts the story of another time in history when God’s people were gathering to share a meal with family and friends.  The details of the meal are quite explicit (Ex 12:3-11) and the story that is told has been repeated to all those who have partaken in the Passover meal throughout the centuries that have come and gone since that time (Ex 12:14).  The joy that we experience as we gather with family and friends around the banquet table on Easter Sunday is foreshadowed in the banquet table that is set for the Eucharist.  At this table, we are made aware of the historical significance of the meal we share as well as the invitation that is given to us to go out into the world, ready to share the joy that we encounter in this place.

Saint Paul speaks of the Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples in the second reading we heard tonight.  They had most probably gathered to celebrate the Passover on other occasions too.  Even in our time, the Passover table is a place where families and friends gather to remember and to give thanks.  On that particular night though, Jesus did something different: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, he broke it and said, ‘This is my Body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me’ (1 Cor 11:23-24).  He also took the cup after supper, gave it to them and said: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.  Do this … in remembrance of me’ (1 Cor 11:25).

These presentations to the disciples happened at different moments during the liturgy of the Passover Seder meal.  Whereas they were very familiar with the rest of the liturgy, these two moments would have caught them by surprise because Jesus changed the words, and re-interpreted the meanings of the actions that accompanied them.  The element of surprise helps to keep things fresh in our minds.  Whereas the rest of the details of the meal are not recounted in Paul’s telling – perhaps because they were not noteworthy - these two moments were different and worth recounting, but Jesus wasn’t done yet.  He had another surprise for the disciples.

Saint John tells us that at a certain point during the meal, presumably after the rituals of the Passover Seder had been completed, and as the rest of the meal was being served, Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe … poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet (Jn 13:4-5).  This action too would have surprised them because it was not Jesus’ place to wash the feet of his disciples.  This is the reason why Peter asked: Lord, are you going to wash my feet? (Jn 13:6).  We should always pay attention to the moments in life when we are surprised, especially the moments when God surprises us; these are moments of grace and occasions when Jesus teaches us some valuable lessons.

In the case of Holy Thursday, the act of washing the disciples’ feet was meant to show them (and us) that we should consider it a gift from God to be called upon to be of service to others.  As Jesus himself said: If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14).  In a few moments, we will re-enact that moment that Jesus shared with his disciples in the Upper Room, when he washed their feet.  As we do, ask yourself: Where have I encountered Jesus?  How have my feet been washed by others?  How is Jesus inviting me to wash the feet of those who I meet?  Can I accept his invitation, and do what he asks of me, recognizing the precious gift that he offers to me: the gift of joy that is the fruit of loving service?