Holy Thursday

Today is Holy Thursday.  I must confess, I think I've had too much coffee today.  Either that, or I'm very nervous about something... And since I can't think of what on earth I could be nervous about, I'm afraid it's the coffee...or at least the caffeine in the coffee...might try decaf next...

So, as I tried to state earlier, today is Holy Thursday.  The day when Jesus gathered his disciples together to not only break bread with, establishing the Eucharist that we celebrate every day in our church together, but to also wash their feet.  Now, for Jesus to wash his disciples feet was no easy task.  Back in Jesus' day, it was custom for the servants to wash the feet of guests because of course, there was no paved road and some didn't even wear shoes let alone the sandals that surely did not keep dirt out. 

Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.

So it was the job of the servants of a particular house to wash guests feet. 

Jesus was not a servant, so when the disciples saw Jesus washing one anothers feet, they were puzzled.  Why on earth would this man, who claimed to be the Son of God, stoop to such a dirty task? 

Exactly the same reason that He was born in a yucky old cave like barn in a manger that unlike the lovely creche's portray, was a glorified feeding trough for animals that stunk like you know what and were probably not the neatest eaters...

A God who humbles Himself before His disciples and washes their feet, is the same God who allowed Himself to be scourged at the pillar, a "halo of thorns smashed into His head, was made to drag a portion of His cross around town for all to see, and then was nailed to a cross for one thing.  To save each one of us so that... "who ever believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

Along with washing their feet, Jesus also instituted the Eucharist at that Last Supper.  The very words from the bible are the very words the priest proclaims 'in persona Christi' at Mass every single day. 

I don't know about you, but I've heard people say if Jesus wasn't the real deal, than He was a madman. 

I choose to believe he was the real deal, myself...

Jesus celebrating the Eucharist.