Holy Thursday 
TheÊfollowing message by Sister Barbara Metz, SNDdeNÊwas originally published by theÊSNDdeNÊCongregational Mission Office:Ê
John 13: 1-15
Do you understand what I have done to you?
At his last meal, after washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus asked that question. Do you understand what I have done to you? Do you know the meaning of what I have just done?
It is a profound question. It is one we need to live with through the days and years of our lives. We grow in the understanding of the deep truths of human life. We come to understand as we mature, deepen and pray. We grow in both understanding and in wisdom.
It is by watching Jesus, by contemplating his life, his choices, his ways of loving that we come to know the heart of God.
Jesus knelt before each of his disciples. He washed their feet. He is saying in his gesture, ÒEach human person is an image of God, a spark of the divine, to be knelt before, to be served.Ó This is GodÕs way of being in human life. It is the way He is asking us to be in human life. It is beyond comprehension.
Peter protests JesusÕ action and reveals his and our limited understanding of the truth that Jesus is living and teaching. Jesus has emptied Himself of His divinity and became as all humans are. (Phil. 2)
As human beings, we are side by side with each other, not over or above another.ÊGifts of nature, grace, money, privilege, titles etc. cannot change that. We are each of tremendous value and profoundly loved by God.
We are called to remain side by side, loving and serving each other, never forgetting the innate beauty of each human person.
The tragedy of our times is that that truth is so little understood and acted upon. The poor, the broken, immigrant peoples, children, women and many others are ranked according to standards that are far from what Jesus teaches us about the human person. We often do not really understand.
We need to continue to live with JesusÕ question ÒDo you understand?Ó It calls us to look honestly at our thinking, judging and responding to others.
Rory CooneyÕs song ÒChange our HeartsÓ could well carry our desire before God. ÒChange our minds, change our hearts.ÊWe are the people who long to see your face.Ó We long to see the face of God in each of our brothers and sisters.
ÒI have given you an example that you may copy what I have done.Ó That is GodÕs dream for us.
On this sacred feast of Holy Thursday, we pray for ourselves and for all followers of Jesus that we will have the courage in our day to do all we can to love and serve our brothers and sisters in the needs that become evident to us in our daily living.
UMC pastor Rev. Steve Garnass-Holmes wrote these beautiful words: ÒDespite what falls around us, tend to what rises within us.ÓÊ
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John 13: 1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciplesÕ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ÒMaster, are you going to wash my feet?Ó Jesus answered and said to him, ÒWhat I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.Ó Peter said to him, ÒYou will never wash my feet.Ó Jesus answered him, ÒUnless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.Ó Simon Peter said to him, ÒMaster, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.Ó Jesus said to him, ÒWhoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.Ó For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, ÒNot all of you are clean.Ó
So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, ÒDo you realize what I have done for you? You call me ÔteacherÕ and Ômaster,Õ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one anotherÕs feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.Ó
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Sister Barbara Metz is a member of the U.S. Sisters of Notre Dame East-West Province. She holds a Master of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of San Francisco. In ministry, she has served in religious formation and renewal programs. She has many years of experience in teaching, school administration, retreat work and parish ministries in the United States, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Africa. For some years, she served on a mobile team for the formation of priests and religious in Kenya. She has done freelance spiritual ministries and is currently involved in retreat work and spiritual direction.
This reflection is also on theÊSNDdeN International website. https://www.sndden.org/blog/holy-thursday-sr-barbara-metz-sndden/