Description
During the Last Supper and coincident with His gift of the Sacrament of Love, Jesus also left us His testament of love – the living, concrete testament of His admirable example of humility and charity in the washing of the Apostles’ feet, and His oral testament in the proclamation of His “new commandment”. The Gospel shows us Jesus, as the Master, washing the Apostles’ feet ending with His words, “I have given you an example, that as I have done, you also may do” (John 13:1-15).
It is an urgent invitation to that fraternal charity which should be the fruit of union with Jesus, the fruit of our Eucharistic Communion. If we cannot imitate the love of Jesus by giving our body as food to our brethren, we can imitate Him at least by giving them loving assistance, not only in agreeable circumstances, but also in difficult and disagreeable ones. By washing His disciples’ feet, the Master shows us how far we should humble ourselves to render a service to our neighbour, even were he most lowly and abject.
The Master, who, by unceasing proofs of His love, advances to meet ungrateful men, and even those who have betrayed Him, teaches us that our charity is far from His unless we repay evil with good, forgive everything, and are even willing to repay with kindness those who have done us harm. The Master who gave His life for the salvation of His own, tells us that our love is incomplete if we cannot sacrifice ourselves generously for others. His “new commandment”, which makes the love of Jesus Himself the measure of our fraternal love, opens up unlimited horizons for the exercise of charity, for it means charity without limits.
Taken from Divine Intimacy by Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen, OCD. #137 – The Gift of Love (p 393)
