Homily for Mass of the Lord's Supper: "We are part of the story of Christ"

Sometimes a minor gesture can be engraved in our memory for lifetime. More than 60 years ago I had some problems with one of my feet. In my pain I spoke to a father at the Capuchin boarding school. He made me sit, then he knelt down and was taking care of my foot treating it carefully. I was deeply touched to see, that this priest did not shrink back from touching my foot, which probably was not even very clean. He, a priest and teacher, was doing something I did not expect.

Recalling this experience helps me to understand the embarrassment of Peter and the other disciples when Jesus “got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.” The Master, the Lord of the Universe, does the work of a slave to his chosen ones. This was something which was simply out of the rules of conduct and hence provoked the protest of Simon Peter.

However, Jesus insisted. He even made the acceptance of this gesture the criteria of belonging to him: “If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.” This was reason enough for Peter to give up his resistance and to ask even more than was needed, because he wanted in no way lose the communion with the Lord.

What Jesus did with the disciples on that last evening was a didactic play, which he immediately was explaining afterwards: “Do you understand, what I have done to you?” Most probably they did not. That is why the Lord explicitly goes ahead: “You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.” Copy the Lord? Yes, not only in the Holy Eucharist when he says, “Do this in memory of me!” but also in his instruction of being humble servants to each other, even washing the feet.

The gospels we are listening during the Holy Week remind us where the place and task of Christ’s followers is to be: We are called to be true Christ-bearers like the foal of the donkey on which Jesus is entering Jerusalem. Like the disciples we have to prepare the table for the supper Jesus is presiding over. The Lord wants us to wash each other’s feet. We are invited by Jesus to pray in solidarity with him in the garden of Gethsemane. The circumstances may force us unexpectedly to carry the cross as Simon of Cyrene has been forced. We may stand more or less close to the cross where Jesus crucified is breathing his last, feeling the powerlessness to help, like the women present.

All these scenes of the Bible are scenes of our own life as Christians, but we have to keep our eyes open. We are bearers of Christ and have to bring him into the city of this world. The daily work done in a spirit of service means that we are preparing the table of the Lord. Humbly bowing down to the least and poorest we experience that Christ is with and in us. Accepting willingly the unexpected burden of a cross – be it our own or the cross of somebody else – keeps us close to Jesus on his way to Calvary. Sometimes we feel completely powerless in front of the crimes and tragedies happening around us. We have still the possibility at least to mourn with and for the victims and to remember them in our prayers before God.

Tonight, we have to be aware that we are part of the story of Christ – as sinners as well than as believers. We may be weak like the disciples were weak when they were put to the test. However, we should always keep in mind the word of Jesus addressed to Simon and through Simon to each one of us: „ Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers (and Sisters).“ (Luke 22:31-32) Tonight he wants to feed us with his body and then to wash our feet and thus give as a lesson where our place as a Christian is and from where we are getting the energy to turn back and to follow Him.

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