The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today begin the three day liturgy, Triduum, that celebrates the Love of God as we re-present the through liturgy, Word, and Eucharist our passing over to fullness of life through following the Risen Christ.
In the reading from the Book of Exodus, the First Passover is Instituted.
* [12:1–20] This section, which interrupts the narrative of the exodus, contains later legislation concerning the celebration of Passover.
* [12:2] As if to affirm victory over Pharaoh and sovereignty over the Israelites, the Lord proclaims a new calendar for Israel. This month: Abib, the month of “ripe grain.” Cf. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Dt 16:1. It occurred near the vernal equinox, March–April. Later it was known by the Babylonian name of Nisan. Cf. Neh 2:1; Est 3:7.
* [12:4] The lamb’s cost: some render the Hebrew, “reckon for the lamb the number of persons required to eat it.” Cf. v. 10. (Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 116 is a Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness
* [Psalm 116] A thanksgiving in which the psalmist responds to divine rescue from mortal danger (Ps 116:3–4) and from near despair (Ps 116:10–11) with vows and Temple sacrifices (Ps 116:13–14, 17–19). The Greek and Latin versions divide the Psalm into two parts: Ps 116:1–9 and Ps 116:10–19, corresponding to its two major divisions. (Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB, n.d.)
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians proclaims the Institution of the Lord’s Supper.
* [11:23–25] This is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. The narrative emphasizes Jesus’ action of self-giving (expressed in the words over the bread and the cup) and his double command to repeat his own action. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
* [13:1–20] Washing of the disciples’ feet. This episode occurs in John at the place of the narration of the institution of the Eucharist in the synoptics. It may be a dramatization of Lk 22:27—“I am your servant.” It is presented as a “model” (“pattern”) of the crucifixion. It symbolizes cleansing from sin by sacrificial death.
* [13:1] Before the feast of Passover: this would be Thursday evening, before the day of preparation; in the synoptics, the Last Supper is a Passover meal taking place, in John’s chronology, on Friday evening. To the end: or, “completely.”
* [13:2] Induced: literally, “The devil put into the heart that Judas should hand him over.”
* [13:5] The act of washing another’s feet was one that could not be required of the lowliest Jewish slave. It is an allusion to the humiliating death of the crucifixion.
* [13:10] Bathed: many have suggested that this passage is a symbolic reference to baptism. The Greek root involved is used in baptismal contexts in 1 Cor 6:11; Eph 5:26; Ti 3:5; Heb 10:22. (John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)
Cynthia Schmersal comments that of all the richness that these Holy Thursday readings offer, I keep returning to John 13:15. It has become a refrain in my prayer: Jesus, affirming that He has most assuredly given us a model to follow and calling us to do as He has done, to allow ourselves to be poured out in love.
This Triduum, deepen in us
our lament and our repentance,
our openness and our surrender,
our awe and our gratitude,
our hope and our devotion.
In the ALL of it, make of us more faithful followers who live by the model You bequeath to us.
In love, make of us an offering to You.
Amen. (Schmersal, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Christ chose to be a servant who offered himself for us,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Even though the man Christ Jesus, in the form of God together with the Father with whom He is one God, accepts our sacrifice, nonetheless He has chosen in the form of a servant to be the sacrifice rather than accept it. Therefore, He is the priest Himself Who presents the offering, and He Himself is what is offered." (excerpt from City of God, 10,20) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 13:1-15 notes that tonight at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, priests throughout the world will imitate Jesus’ actions by washing the feet of their parishioners. Gathered together as one body, the Church will also celebrate Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist. These two actions are related: in the same humble way that he washed his apostles’ feet, Jesus, the Son of God, offers us his Body and Blood so that we can be as close to him as possible.
In prayer today, reflect on the astounding humility of Jesus. Imagine him washing your feet and gently drying them with the towel around his waist. Then picture him saying to you, “As I have done for you, you should also do.” Jesus serves you in love, and he wants you to do the same for others. So how is he calling you to imitate him today?
“Lord, help me to love and serve your people with the same humility that you have.” (Meditation on John 13:1-15, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler connects the Exodus passage with instructions for celebration of the Passover feast to the agricultural time of the birth of lambs and “leaping” as Passover. The account of Paul of the Institution of the Eucharist predates the Gospel accounts by decades. Paul refers to the content of the Cup as “the Covenant in my Blood” whereas Mark and Matthew identify the Cup as containing Blood. Friar Jude reminds us of the horizontal dimension of the Eucharist that requires us, like Jesus, to serve our community and act to share Love as our Mission.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how surrender is simply accepting the reality that we are not in control. When we set ourselves up to think we deserve, expect, or need certain things to happen, we are setting ourselves up for constant unhappiness and a final inability to enjoy or at least allow what is going to happen anyway. After a while, we find ourselves resisting almost everything at some level. It is a terrible way to live. Giving up control is a school to learn union, compassion, and understanding. It is ultimately a school for the final letting go that we call death.
I am confident in this: every time we surrender to love, we have also just chosen to die. Every time we let love orient us, we are letting go of ourselves as an autonomous unit and have given a bit of ourselves away to something or someone else, and it is not easily retrieved—unless we choose to stop loving—which many do. But even then, when that expanded self wants to retreat back into itself, it realizes it is trapped in a much larger truth now. And love wins again. [2]
Jesus surely had a dozen good reasons why he should not have had to die so young, so unsuccessful at that point, and the Son of God besides! By becoming the Passover Lamb, plus the foot-washing servant, Jesus makes God’s love human, personal, clear, and quite concrete. Jesus is handed over to the religious and political powers-that-be, and we must be handed over to God from our power, privilege, and need for control. Otherwise, we will never grow up or participate in the mystery of God and love. It really is about “passing over” to a deeper faith and life. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)
We begin our liturgy that re-presents our Passover, and participation in the Mission of Christ to serve the people in our environment as we ask the Spirit to support acceptance of our invitation to share in the humility, sacrifice and glory of the Love of Christ.
References
Exodus, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/12?1
John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13?1
Meditation on John 13:1-15. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/17/1249689/
1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11?23
Psalms, PSALM 116 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/116?0
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Releasing Control. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/releasing-control/
Schmersal, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041725.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus' Supreme Humility and Unfailing Love. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr17
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