Miscellaneous

To me, Holy Thursday is the most poignant day on the Church calendar, the intersection of sorrow, joy, anticipation, and dread. I hope no one minds my sharing a little story about one of the things that happened on this night roughly 2,000 years ago:

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up fro the 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.

...

When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ?Do you understand? he said ?what I have done to you? 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.?

John 13:1?5, 12?15 (Jerusalem Bible 1966).