HOLY THURSDAY
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2005
I was driving today and in front of me was a work truck – I noticed the advertisement on the side
that said something about engraving, but what really intriqued me was what I read on the back
of the truck. It said PHIL 4:13. I am smart enough to know that it means Phillipians Chapter 4,
verse 13. However, I am Catholic. That verse just wasn’t coming to me. I was running around
doing a number of things this afternoon and here in this church I spotted a bible. It was God’s
way of telling me to listen. Do you want to know what Phillipians 4:13 is?
In Him who is the source of my strength I have strength to do everything.
Tonight as we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist
As our minds and images focus on the Last Supper,
The Church calls us to listen to John’s account of the event.
It is not about taking bread from the table or wine.
It focuses on washing feet.
What was Jesus up to?
What was he thinking?
Where does this action, this ritual, this symbolism fit in?
We can be assured that Jesus knew what was ahead,
What was only a matter of time for his disciples.
He knew that the road before them would be rough,
Would be a wild and unpredictable journey.
For where they were about to walk would be different and unfamiliar territory.
He wanted to prepare them.
He chose to wash their feet.
For out of great love for those who threw their lives away to follow him
He chose to give a sign of His compassion, His love.
He knelt down before them and took the form of a slave
And washed their feet.
If he wanted them to be assured of anything that night,
it was that when they were on the road before them
that he would be there.
So He washed feet, strong feet, holy feet, weak feet, doubting feet, scared feet
and because he was very aware that Judas was among them, sinful feet.
Jesus wanted and chose to wash them all.
Tonight I act in the person of Christ
and do the same.
As Christ, I am very aware that the disciples were reluctant.
Every new member of our parish that I approached about participating in this action
was at first hesitant or uncomfortable.
You want to do what when?
Yes, it is an odd ritual to do in a public ceremony.
But it powerfully gives witness to ways in which we publicly
and one to another
must act. Must be willing to go.
This ritual says something about what Jesus is willing to do for you.
He prepares you for a journey – that He will accompany you on.
Tonight I, as Christ, will wash the feet of some of our newest parishioners.
They have arrived here from many different places
but tonight they are gathered together.
The youngest is recently baptized
and the oldest is awaiting the celebration of his baptism in three days.
They all bring hopes and dreams
talents and faith.
They bring the journey behind them filled with the fear and excitement of moving to a strange
town, walking into a strange church, trying to figure out how they could feel connected.
They bring different stories of how we have welcomed them.
They all are here because they knew that only with God could they continue on the journey.
The first disciples were about to embark on an incredible journey
They did not know where it would lead them
but Jesus knew.
He knew that they would be challenged
but that they would build the Church
He knew that one would take his own life
and that others would follow him to a cross.
Others would face different martyrdoms for the sake of the faith.
One, John, would live a long life.
Some would travel by foot, others by sea.
Through them, the faith would spread across the land
because they all went in different directions
inspired by the same truth.
Tonight – inspired by this example of Christ
I renewed my commitment to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ
and We celebrate the outpouring of the Church’s sacramental life.
Oils will be presented for use at Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination.
This year children and Adults will know God’s protection and commission.
As they are anointed for service and given protection for their battles.
Thus God gives us protection for the journey
and he makes us confident of our mission
as priests, prophets and kings on the journey.
All of this – this awareness of God’s love in the life of each disciple and in the life of the Church
leads us to this table
where we believe and profess
that Christ will become truly – really present to us.
He said – take and eat – this is my body
He said – take and drink – this is my blood
Whenever you do this I am there.
Thus, God provides for us FOOD for the journey.
A food like no other.
It is our companion for life.
for with bread (com panis) we journey onward.
May this night strengthen our sense of God’s presence.
May we know Him fully in the Eucharistic Presence of His Son.
May this night lead us to celebrate our Diocesan Eucharistic Congress in October
and know that we are One in the Body of Christ.
The Holy Father’s words at the last world youth day
are encouraging words of mission for us all:
He said:
“My dear young friends, I pray that your faith in Christ will always be lively and strong.
This way you will always be ready to tell others the reason for your hope.
You will always be messengers of hope for the world.
In just a moment I will have the supreme honor and high privilege of wasting the feet of 12
representatives of this wonderful parish. May this ritual be a symbol for us all. May it re-focus us
on Christ and his mission, which we have inherited. May it draw us deeper into prayer and to a
renewed commitment to love and serve one another.
Hesitant disciples come.
For you are about to embark on a journey
and through you we all leap into the journey we call the Paschal Mystery.
Jesus will prepare you.
He will provide the compassion, the protection,
He will inspire you as a person of mission
and he will provide the food – bread like no other.
He will be there.
In Him who is the source of my strength, I have the strength to do everything.
