On the margins

At 5:00pm today in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Vatican and travelled to the Saint Mary of Providence Centre, part of the Don Gnocchi Foundation located on the Via Casal del Marmo in the Casalotti-Boccea region of Rome.  There, he celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper at 5:30pm local time.  This liturgy which is celebrated in the evening hours of Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Pascal Triduum.

This marks the second year in a row that the Holy Father has celebrated the Holy Thursday liturgy with the marginalized.  Last year, he did so at a youth detention centre; this year, he chose to pray with the elderly and the disabled.

According to Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, Director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pope washed the feet of nine Italians, one Muslim from Lybia, and Ethiopian woman, and a young man from Cape Verde.  All of them suffer from some form of illness.

The Don Gnocchi Foundation comprises thirty centres throughout Italy which are all dedicated to health care and research.  For those who work with the Centre, and for those who are cared for alike, Lent reminds us of the meaning of solitude, weakness, doubts, being tired and being confused, but to see the Pope coming to our workplace helps us to anticipate a bit of Easter.

In his homily today, Pope Francis spoke about the Lord who although He is God, became a servant, our servant.  This gesture on the part of the Lord leaves all of us with a special inheritance: we ought to be servants of one another.  He has made this road for love; you also ought to love and be servants of love.  This is the legacy that Jesus leaves us.

The Holy Father reminded those who were present that Jesus wanted us to live in this way.  The act of washing feet was usually carried out by slaves, the servants of those who came to eat at the table.  Since the streets were made up of dirt and earth, when a guest entered the house, it was necessary that their feet be washed.  The Holy Father's homily focused on Jesus' willingness to do the work of a slave: this is the legacy he has left us.  For this reason, when the Church commemorates the Last Supper, the occasion upon which Jesus instituted the Eucharist, we also wash one another's feet in order to remind ourselves that we must be servants to each other.

Inviting all those who were present to remember the love that Jesus tells us to have for others, he urged the faithful to consider ways in which they can serve others better, for this is what Jesus wants us to do.  Meanwhile, the Holy Father knelt before each of the twelve residents, washed, dried and kissed their feet.  Then, he continued with the Eucharistic banquet.

The President of the Don Gnocchi Foundation care home said that Pope Francis' visit fills them with pride and takes their thoughts and hearts on high.  It shows us the care of a Church that wears an apron and washes the feet of those who are evangelically the first.  This is a gift that the Pope gives our mission, embracing sixty years of history, beginning with our founder Don Carlo Gnocchi and including our daily activities, even the most commonplace labour of daily living.