Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Although we are four weeks into the season of Easter, we are taken back to the night before Jesus died in today’s Gospel. In this passage, which follows the washing of the disciples’ feet, Jesus shares several meaningful messages. The first is, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.” When Jesus takes on the role of servant as he washes his friends’ feet, he restores the worthiness of all people and breaks down the labels of society which often divides people into those who serve and those who are served. As in many instances in the Gospel of John, Jesus models his teachings by his own action and he calls his disciples to imitate him as well.
Jesus calls all those who follow this kind of service blessed but gives a warning that there is one among them to whom these words will not apply. He prepares the disciples for the prediction about his betrayal by one of the group. “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” The men Jesus has chosen to surround himself with are far from perfect. One will betray him, and the others—when put to the test—will deny Jesus and scatter. Despite their sinfulness, Jesus shows them in his service, the way to happiness even at the expense of his own life.
The final words of this passage offer us a powerful message. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Just as Jesus and the Father one, we too are invited to share in the same union. When we think about this intimate relationship we share with Jesus, do we sometimes take it for granted? As Pope Francis said his meditation on the meaning of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 27, “now is a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.” In our prayer, let us ask God for the wisdom and strength to make a daily commitment, no matter how small, to serve those most in need in our own families and our community.
- Jessica Gabrielli