Maundy Thursday
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: April 17, 2025
When I studied in Rome many years ago, I had the opportunity to attend many solemn celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica and the Square. Some with thousands of people, some with the Pope, with beautiful music. But, I have to say that the celebrations of the Eucharist in which I was most moved and felt that I encountered J esus most fully were elsewhere.
In particular, I remember going to visit Sicily for a week with some of the other priests studying with me. We stayed in Palermo in a poor quarter of the city. The nearby parish was taken care of by Salesian priests. They took care of a refugee centre at their property where many refugees would stay until they were able to get settled. Most of them had come up from Africa. But, the big impact for me was the Mass they had each weekend that was just for the children in that quarter. We concelebrated with the priest there with this group of children, some probably were orphans, others with very poor homes. In that Mass, I really experienced Jesus who we see getting down on the ground and washing the feet of the Apostles.
In John’s Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus gets down and washes the feet of the Apostles. This scandalizes Peter. Jesus was the teacher, he was the head. He should be served not serve. Here Jesus gives a model for all leaders, all people in positions of authority, all parents, all priests through the ages. The call to serve, not be served.
When we look at our world today, in particular, when we see the political leaders in our world, we see something very different. We need this model of humble service in our politicians, in our leaders, in our bishops and priests, in our parents. Not to look at what is in it for me, but in what way can I serve the needs of the people.
Whose feet are you washing? Perhaps your elderly parents, your young children or adult children going through difficult times, a friend in need?
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday is a time when the church reflects on these two mysteries and gifts. The Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. Both are meant to be models of humble service. Both are meant to be models of self-giving love. We do not come to the Eucharist to be entertained or to have nice feelings. We come here to learn to love as Jesus loved. We come here to learn to become humble servants in our world.
It is perhaps all summed up simply in the words of Consecration. “This is my body given up for you.” These are the words each married person is to express to their spouse, these are the words each priest needs to make his own. These are the words that each of us Christians need to follow in our lives. “This is my body given up for you.”
Go home from here and reflect on that question: Whose feet are you washing?
