Homily for Holy Thursday: April 5, 2007

Given by the Most Reverend Stephen E. Blaire at St. Joseph’s Church in Modesto.

John’s Gospel does not give us an account of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper as do the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. What we do receive in John is a dramatic gesture of Jesus which illustrates what the Eucharist is all about as a Sacrament of Christ’s offering of Himself to God.

En el banquete de la eucaristia se manifiesta la presencia y la muerte de Jesus bajo las especies sacramentales.

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as a symbol that His offering of Himself to the Father would cleanse us from our sins. Peter objected that he should not be served by his Lord and Master – but not many hours later Peter would deny that he even knew Jesus. Jesus told Peter that if he wanted any part with him, he must accept the washing. Jesus would in a short time look upon Peter after the denials and Peter would repent weeping bitterly. The gaze of Jesus is always one of love and forgiveness for us.

Primero Pedro interpreto los gestos de Jesus en sentido material. Mas tarde Pedro realizo la significacion de la limpieza interior.

Jesus said that He has given us an example. How do we follow that example? How do we wash each other’s feet?

I would like to suggest that the great Father of the Church, St. Gregory Nazianzen helps us when he wrote: “We must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do.” This is clearly St. Paul’s understanding of living the gospel – that whatever we do, we do it in the name of the Lord and for God.

El Senor Jesucristo nos amo el extremo. Los discipulos de Cristo aman a unos a otros en servicio.

We live for God when we wash each other’s feet, meaning that we understand that living for God embraces living for others and for one another. To feed the hungry, to visit the sick, to shelter the homeless, to offer a word of comfort to the troubled, to take care of the aged, to be there for someone who is going through a difficult time, to be strong in faith in testimony of Christ – this is how we wash feet.

Ser discipulos de Cristo lavamos los pies de los otros en amor y en servicio.

The words of Jesus in John: “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Les doy este mandamiento nuevo: que se amen unos a otros. Ustedes se amaran unos a otros como yo los he amado.”

“LES HE DADO UN EJEMPLO, PARA QUE HAGAN LO MISMO QUE YO HICE CON USTEDES. “
“I HAVE GIVEN YOU A MODEL TO FOLLOW, SO THAT AS I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, YOU SHOULD ALSO DO.”

Last Update April 5, 2007