Opening Prayer:
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
May this daily bread give us the strength to serve both you and others, bringing glory to your holy and precious name.
Reading:
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.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Lord, at the Last Supper, in addition to instituting the Eucharist, you also issued a commission for your disciples to serve You through service to others. With nourishment from the Eucharist, may we follow the command given to us at the end of each Mass to "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life" by washing the feet of others.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, may we have the courage to follow your model of service. In a spirit of humility, we pray:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
Closing Song:
