.M.SCHNEIDERS - The evangelist's contemplative description of Jesus' elaborate, almost liturgical, preparation for his action of washing the disciples' feet (13,4-5) focuses the reader's attention on the essential characteristic of the sign. That which Jesus is about to do is an act od serving, of literally waiting upon his disciples. Service, in other words, by its inmost structure, is capable of expressing ultimate love, and the love commanded by Jesus has the inner form of service. Every act of service, however ordinary, because it consists in preferring another to oneself, is essentially un act of self.gift and, therefore, an expression of love, which, in principle, tends toward the total self-gift. However, when we attempt to verify this trascendental or ideal concept in our real experience of giving and receiving service, it becomes abundantly evident that service as pure gift of self for another's good rarely, if ever, is realized in fact. John describes God's salvific intention not in terms of sacrifice on retribution but in terms of self-gift :God so loved the world as to give God's only Son to save us (3,16). Jesus, acting out of that salvific mission , so loved his own in the world that he laid down his life for them . Jesus 'self-gift was not, in John's perspective , the master's redemption of unworthy slaves but an act of friendship: “no longer do I call you servants … you I have called friends” (15,15). let us return now to the scene of the foot washing, Jesus symbolizes his impending death, his love of his disciples unto the end, by an act of menial service. He did not choose an act of service proceeding from his real and acknowledged superiority to them as teacher and Lord. Such an act would have expressed the inequality between himself and his disciples , their inferiority to him. Instead, Jesus acted to abolish the inequality between them, deliberately reversing their social positions and roles. To wash another's feet was something that even slaves could not be required to do, but which disciples might do out of reference for their master. But any act of service is permissible and freeing among friends. By washing his disciples' feet Jesus overcame by love the inequality that existed by nature between himself and those whom he had chosen as friends. He established an intimacy with them that superseded his superiority and signaled their access to everything that he had received from his Father (15,15) , even to the glory that he had been given as Son. (17,22). The principle of relationship between Jesus and his disciples is the love of friendship which transforms what would have been a humiliating self-degradation if performed under the formality of superiority and inferiority into an act of service, a revelation of self-giving love. Jesus goes on to say not that the disciples should wash the feet of their inferiors as an act of self-humiliation (for that is not what jesus had done for them) but rather that they should “wash one another's feet” (13,14). They should live out among themselves the love of friendship , with its delight in mutual service that knows no order of importance, which Jesus has inaugurated.
Reading 2 1 COR 11:23-26 Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Verse Before The Gospel JN 13:34 I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you. Gospel JN 13:1-15 Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."
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." WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER At that time, the feet were washed by the slaves: it was a slave's task. And Jesus wanted to do this service, to give us an example of how we must serve one another. He flips, Jesus overturns the historical and cultural habit of that time - also this of today - the one who commands, to be a good leader, whether he is where he is, must serve. Service: really there are people who do not facilitate this attitude, proud people, hateful people, people who perhaps wish us harm; but we are called to serve them more. And there are also people who suffer, who are discarded from society, at least for a while, and Jesus goes there to tell them: You are important to me. Jesus comes to serve us, Jesus risks on each of us. Know this: Jesus is called Jesus, he is not called Pontius Pilate. Jesus does not know how to wash his hands: he only knows how to take risks! This is the service, this is Jesus: he never abandons us; he never tires of forgiving us. He loves us very much. (Homily, Mass in Coena Domini, Holy Thursday, 29 March 2018)
.M.SCHNEIDERS - The evangelist's contemplative description of Jesus' elaborate, almost liturgical, preparation for his action of washing the disciples' feet (13,4-5) focuses the reader's attention on the essential characteristic of the sign. That which Jesus is about to do is an act od serving, of literally waiting upon his disciples.
RispondiEliminaService, in other words, by its inmost structure, is capable of expressing ultimate love, and the love commanded by Jesus has the inner form of service. Every act of service, however ordinary, because it consists in preferring another to oneself, is essentially un act of self.gift and, therefore, an expression of love, which, in principle, tends toward the total self-gift.
However, when we attempt to verify this trascendental or ideal concept in our real experience of giving and receiving service, it becomes abundantly evident that service as pure gift of self for another's good rarely, if ever, is realized in fact.
John describes God's salvific intention not in terms of sacrifice on retribution but in terms of self-gift :God so loved the world as to give God's only Son to save us (3,16).
Jesus, acting out of that salvific mission , so loved his own in the world that he laid down his life for them . Jesus 'self-gift was not, in John's perspective , the master's redemption of unworthy slaves but an act of friendship: “no longer do I call you servants … you I have called friends” (15,15).
let us return now to the scene of the foot washing, Jesus symbolizes his impending death, his love of his disciples unto the end, by an act of menial service.
He did not choose an act of service proceeding from his real and acknowledged superiority to them as teacher and Lord.
Such an act would have expressed the inequality between himself and his disciples , their inferiority to him. Instead, Jesus acted to abolish the inequality between them, deliberately reversing their social positions and roles.
To wash another's feet was something that even slaves could not be required to do, but which disciples might do out of reference for their master.
But any act of service is permissible and freeing among friends. By washing his disciples' feet Jesus overcame by love the inequality that existed by nature between himself and those whom he had chosen as friends. He established an intimacy with them that superseded his superiority and signaled their access to everything that he had received from his Father (15,15) , even to the glory that he had been given as Son. (17,22).
The principle of relationship between Jesus and his disciples is the love of friendship which transforms what would have been a humiliating self-degradation if performed under the formality of superiority and inferiority into an act of service, a revelation of self-giving love.
Jesus goes on to say not that the disciples should wash the feet of their inferiors as an act of self-humiliation (for that is not what jesus had done for them) but rather that they should “wash one another's feet” (13,14). They should live out among themselves the love of friendship , with its delight in mutual service that knows no order of importance, which Jesus has inaugurated.
Reading 2 1 COR 11:23-26
RispondiEliminaBrothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Verse Before The Gospel JN 13:34
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
Gospel JN 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples' feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
"Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later."
Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."
Jesus answered him,
"Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
Simon Peter said to him,
"Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
Jesus said to him,
"Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all."
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."
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."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
At that time, the feet were washed by the slaves: it was a slave's task. And Jesus wanted to do this service, to give us an example of how we must serve one another. He flips,
Jesus overturns the historical and cultural habit of that time - also this of today - the one who commands, to be a good leader, whether he is where he is, must serve. Service: really there are people who do not facilitate this attitude, proud people, hateful people, people who perhaps wish us harm; but we are called to serve them more. And there are also people who suffer, who are discarded from society, at least for a while, and Jesus goes there to tell them: You are important to me. Jesus comes to serve us, Jesus risks on each of us. Know this: Jesus is called Jesus, he is not called Pontius Pilate. Jesus does not know how to wash his hands: he only knows how to take risks! This is the service, this is Jesus: he never abandons us; he never tires of forgiving us. He loves us very much. (Homily, Mass in Coena Domini, Holy Thursday, 29 March 2018)