Maundy Thursday Reflections:
Foot-washing, Eucharist and Service
Fr. Freddie Santhumayor SVD
- What is the
relationship between Eucharist, foot-washing and service?
John’s gospel indicates this relationship (13:1-20). John has no
narrative of the institution of the Eucharist in his gospel. Instead, he has
the episode of washing of disciples’ feet by Jesus. Why does Jesus wash the
feet of his disciples at the Last Supper? The traditional answer is to humble
himself. Though it is true, there is a further implication in it. In it we get
the image of a servant stooping down to wash the feet of his disciples. A
servant symbolizes not only humility but also service rendered to the master. In
verse 7 Jesus says: “You do not know now
what I am doing, but later you will understand”. If it was a mere physical
washing of feet, what is there to understand later on? Or if this action was
meant only to teach a lesson in
humility, even then what is there to understand later on? You can understand it
on the spot. The word “later” refers to his death on the cross. Jesus, in fact,
says that only when he lays down his life on the cross, the disciples will
understand to what extent one should serve. Thus, John’s gospel interprets
Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross as the supreme act of service rendered to
humanity. Therefore, the symbolic meaning of foot-washing is humble service.
Secondly, in verse 8 Jesus says: “Unless
I wash you, you have no share with me”. In other words: If you want to have
a share with me or if you want to be my disciple, you must wash one other’s
feet; that is, you must also serve one another like me who am a Servant of God.
So service–mindedness is a requirement for discipleship. In fact, Jesus gives
the connotation of “service’’ to his entire ministry, including his passion and
death.
Not only John but also
the synoptic gospels interpret Christ’s sacrificial death in terms of service.
Take for example, Mk 10: 34-45. In verse 45 Jesus says: “The Son of Man came not be served but to serve and to give his life a
ransom for many” (or to redeem many people). Giving one’s life refers to
death. In Lk 22:19, Jesus says at the Last Supper, “This is my body, which is given for you’’, and “Do this in remembrance
of me”. In other words, “This is my body which is given for your service”. Jesus was a man for others. During the Last
Supper he gives us a spiritual nourishment (= Eucharist) to be men and women
for others. By washing the feet of his disciples in the context of the
institution of the Eucharist, he wants to tell us that his body is broken and
blood is shed for our service. Hence, we too must spend our energies and ‘shed
our blood’ (= spend ourselves) for the service of others. The Eucharist gives
us spiritual energy to enable us to serve others.
What
is service then? It mainly implies self–giving or giving one’s life for the welfare of
others. In other words, it implies a sharing of time, talents, goods,
knowledge, speech, and energies for the good of others. Service and sacrifice
are interrelated; no service, no sacrifice and vice versa. In the Eucharist,
also Jesus gives himself fully for our spiritual nourishment. It is a memorial
of his total self-gift, i.e. his sacrificial death which is also his service
for us. “Do this in my memory” is the same as do this in memory of my death, or
do this in memory of my service or sacrifice. Hence, whenever we here these
words during consecration, we are reminded that our bodies (i.e., energies,
talents, time, activities, etc.) need to be given for the service of others. We
have to ask ourselves whether we receive the Eucharist as a spiritual energy to
give ourselves in service.
The commandment (‘mandatum’ in Latin from
which comes the word Maundy Thursday)
given by Jesus at the Last Supper to love one another (Jn 13:34 and 15:12) also
is a command to serve others like a humble servant by sacrificing one’s own
life for others. “You also must wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:14) is the same
as love one another as I have loved you, or serve one another as I have served
you. Does Eucharist energize and send us to spend our energies, talents, time
and resources for the service of others? Do we share our knowledge with those
who do not have? What type of service do we routinely render to family and
society, and what we do not, though they need it very much?
There is a difference
between the services which we have to render out of compulsion, like our daily
work/job/duty and household chores, and those which we willingly and voluntarily
take up for the good of those who are in need of our love. Do we involve in
this latter type of services? Like Jesus, are we willing to stoop down to heal,
care, serve, reconcile, forgive and comfort those who are in need of these
things? Is reception of the Eucharist only a custom to be followed routinely,
or a reminder (memorial) of Christ’s service rendered to humanity which
culminated in his sacrificial death on the cross? Do we take it as spiritual
nourishment given by Jesus to serve like him? Do we join any social service
group or association, or totally keep ourselves confined only to our homes? At
home also, do we expect others to serve us at our beck and call, or equally
contribute to the total welfare of the family?
- To whom should service be rendered?
When we read the gospels,
we come to know, though service has to be rendered to all, it has to be
preferably rendered to the needy, the rejected, the suffering, the sick, the
underprivileged, the defenseless and outcasts and sinners, the least of our
brethren, etc. Since Jesus’ service was mainly concerned with these people, we
have to ask ourselves whether we have a special place for these people in our
plans and schemes. Do we actively look for this type of people and support them
at least in our own little ways? Even a word of comfort/consolation/assurance in
favour of these people is a matter
of service. The Lord whom we encounter in the Eucharist is encountered among
these people. It is by “washing the feet” of such people (= by serving them)
that we live our Eucharistic experience in the sacrament.
- Which attitudes of
the world towards service go against the spirit of foot-washing and
Eucharist?
Let us examine whether
we, who receive the Eucharist regularly, are affected or influenced by the following
mentality?
(1)
Though
jobs are called “service’’ in the secular world, most people consider their
jobs as a means only for earning money, not for the service of humanity or
society or for nation building.
(2)
People
are respected and their services are valued highly if they bring plenty of
money. For example, the service rendered by working women such as nurses and
teachers is valued higher than that of so many mothers at home who teach and
nurse their children day and night; only because they are not paid. The more
salary you earn the more respect is given to you. Many people do not respect
those who render menial services, nor do they value their work highly.
(3) There is a tendency in quite a number of
people
to escape from occasions to render service to the society if there is no
monitory or prestige reward, including assuming leadership roles in the society
and the Church.
(4)
We
observe in the world that there is a general tendency in people only to receive
services but not to give. This happens even in our families.
(5)
So
many people want to escape from common work and meetings and refuse to share
their time, knowledge and energies.
(6)
There are Catholics who try to avoid Small Christian
Community’s (SCC) meetings because they oblige them to do service to our
community and the Church.
(7)
Instead of using one’s authority in family, society
and the Church for guiding, serving, correcting, reconciling and for public
good, it is used for domination, lording it over, exploitation, etc.
(8)
Wasting a lot of time in gossiping, loitering
around, playing cards and watching TV for a prolonged time, instead of using it
for service of society.
4. How should we serve and
with what attitude?
Luke’s gospel (17:7-10)
gives the answer. Actually, we never finish our service. We must always think
that we have not done enough. There is no retirement in Christian service. We
have to serve without expecting any reward. Christ’s intention is very clear
that we must serve disinterestedly and unconditionally. The question we have to
ask is whether we serve grudgingly or lovingly. The answer depends on what
Eucharist and foot-washing means to us.
