So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’m sure at this stage everyone has seen the image of the famous last supper picture where Jesus is alone at the table, and all the disciples are joining in using Zoom! I feel a little bit like that tonight, this is the Lord’s supper, and he invites us to gather with him. Indeed, we can’t gather in person, but I hope that virtually and spiritually, we will join Christ tonight.

This evening I’d like to invite you not only to travel spiritually to Saint Catharine’s Church to witness the Lord supper but to travel in our hearts and souls to Jerusalem. Let us go back to that night and walk through the streets. The windows are lit as families gather to celebrate the Passover meal.

We walk up the steps to the upper room to be greeted by Jesus, our host. Before the meal begins, of course, we must wash our hands and head, and we expect some servant will wash our feet. We are shocked to see our Lord and master put a towel around his waist, and kneel at our feet. It’s not supposed to be this way; he is the master; we are the servants.

Peter protests, “You will never wash my feet.”  And the Lord explains to him that to share his life, is to allow him to serve us, to cleanse us, and to join him in the life of service to others.

Now it’s your turn, Christ approaches you, he kneels at your feet, he calls you by name and gently washes your feet. Tell him in your heart what do you need to be cleansed from.

From what will he cleanse us? From all the grime and struggle we have picked up, all that has damaged our beauty and dignity. All the hurt and harm which we have caused to ourselves and that caused by others.

Allow Christ to wash away your sins and stubbornness. To cleanse you of fear, judgment, contempt, superiority, despair, cynicism, lost hope.

He invites you to wash the feet of those around. Who will you serve, who needs to be served? Who needs to be reassured, to be loved, to be cherished, to have their dignity restored, to be treated with gentleness?

And now that we’ve had our feet washed by our Lord and master, he invites us to gather around his table.

With Love and Blessings,

Fr Damian