Thursday March 28, 2024

How do you wash the feet of others?

Good News Reflections:
Making scripture meaningful to your daily life
by Terry Modica


“Be the hands of Jesus that wash the feet of the people around you. You are the answer to their prayers!”


Good News Reflection for:

Holy Thursday – Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
March 28, 2024

Today’s Prayer:

Beloved Lord: Heal me from pride and the greed of power. Grant me a humble heart, able to give love wherever You tell me. Amen.

SaintsSubscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Ps 116:12-13, 15-18
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-15
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032824-Supper.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-march-28-2024-supper

Finding Jesus in dirty feet

[ Listen to the podcast of this reflection ]

Why did Jesus wash the feet of his disciples? Not because they were too lazy to handle their own hygiene and as their servant he wanted to make life easy for them! Rather, he gave them (and us) a model to imitate.

Naturally, we want Jesus to make our lives easier. Isn’t that the purpose behind many of our prayers? Well, surprise! We do get what we ask for, but not the way we had imagined. When we imitate Jesus, it’s the way we cope with the difficulties of life that becomes easier.

Have you washed anyone’s feet lately? Maybe you haven’t literally soaped up a friend’s smelly feet as a sign of your unconditional love, but I’m sure you have given of yourself in a foot-washing way.

To wash the feet of others is to love them even when they don’t deserve your love.

To wash the feet of others is to do good to them even if they don’t return the favor.

To wash the feet of others is to consider their needs as important as your own.

To wash the feet of others is to forgive them even if they don’t say, “I’m sorry.”

To wash the feet of others is to serve them even when the task is unpleasant.

To wash the feet of others is to let them know you care when they feel downtrodden or burdened.

To wash the feet of others is to be generous with what you have.

To wash the feet of others is to turn the cheek instead of retaliating when you’re treated unfairly.

To wash the feet of others is to make adjustments in your plans so you can serve their needs.

To wash the feet of others is to serve them with humility and not with any hope of reward.

Notice the posture of Jesus. He knelt. Imagine Jesus kneeling in front of you now, lowering himself to the level of your feet and tenderly ministering to your needs. He is in fact doing this, right now, today. And he will do it again and again, as often as you need him to care about you!

He is asking you to go and do likewise: Be the hands of Jesus that wash the feet of the people around you. You are the answer to their prayers!

By serving others, we gain understanding of what Jesus did for us 2000 years ago — and we become more observant of how he’s ministering to us. We meet Jesus in the dirty feet that we lower ourselves to clean.

For more on this topic, use our WordByte called: “Forgiven: the Passion of Christ” @ https://wordbytes.org/lenten-topics/forgiven/

© 2024 by Terry A. Modica

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