Holy Thursday – humility in our lives

 Jesus washing the feet of his apostles

The most significant act of Jesus that we commemorate on Holy Thursday is the washing of the feet of the apostles by none other than their master, Jesus himself. This act is one of extreme humility that Jesus wants us to emulate in our own lives when he said, “If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you must    you must wash each other's feet”(John13:14).

Today over 2,000 years later we still remember this act and our priests without fail wash the feet of their parishioners on every Holy Thursday. But do they do it out of humility or is it just a ritual that has to be done every year? Unfortunately to many of us too it is has become just a ritual of humility which we forget soon after we leave the church. 

The decision of Pope Francis to say his Holy Thursday Mass at a juvenile detention center in Rome and wash the feet of the inmates there is a very bold but right move, which shows his humility. This humility    is the real meaning of the Last Supper of Jesus. The Holy Father by his actions is leading his clergy to serve their congregation with humility. He is leading us too to serve those under our care with humility.

The question is how willing are we go down to wash the feet of those less fortunate than us. It is not literally washing their feet but going down to their level to be part of their sorrow and joy. On Holy Thursday by washing the feet of his apostles, Jesus is calling us to put aside our pride and be one with those who are poor and despised, to empathize with their plight and share the little we have with those who don’t have any. Humility should be our way of life not just on this Holy Thursday but throughout our life.



Let us pray specially this Holy Thursday that God grant us the wisdom and courage to choose the right people as our elected representatives in the coming 13GE to serve the people with humility and simplicity.
 

Have a blessed Holy Thursday