Homily for Maundy Thursday 9 April 2009
We have gathered together this evening to celebrate, as the readings and prayers make clear, the Christian Passover. It is helpful, I think, to recall here the importance of this event in the life of the people of the First Covenant. God had called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into a covenant with himself. When famine had threatened the sons of Jacob he so arranged matters that Joseph, the favourite son of Jacob, should be the saviour of his brothers, despite their earlier sin. The Chosen People flourished in Egypt until a hostile pharaoh arose who persecuted and murdered the sons of Israel. Then the Lord raised up Moses who led the people out of Egypt and took them to the borders of the Promised Land. This event, which formed the nation of Israel out of the twelve tribes, was commemorated year by year in the ritual feast of the Passover. It was the feast which celebrated the decisive intervention of God in the life of his people. Today we commemorate the day on which Jesus celebrated the same feast with his disciples and reshaped it.
The Gospel of St John tells us that the disciples gathered for the Passover. The disciples, like every other Jewish man or woman, knew exactly what was supposed to happen. The ritual was prescribed - there should be no surprises. But then Jesus rose from the table, removed his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his witi and began to wash the feet of his disciples. This action was not part of the Passover ritual. Furthermore it was the work of a slave or servant - not the work of the Master and certainly not the work of the one whom Peter had declared to be the Christ.
Let us note that Jesus does not begin with Peter, he washes the feet of the other disciples and Peter sits there quietly, wondering what to make of the scene. The other disciples are perhaps more understanding than Peter - or perhaps they are simply stunned into silence. In any event, they do not make any protest. But Peter, as we know, is an impetuous man and he is not afraid of voicing his opinion: 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?' And the answer Jesus gives does not satisfy him so he refuses to allow Jesus to take the menial role of a servant: 'Never! You shall never wash my feet'. Peter's intentions are good but Jesus' reply is severe: 'If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me'. And Peter's repentance is immediate and complete: 'Then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and head as well'.
Why does Jesus wash the feet of his disciples? There are at least two answers to this seemingly innocent question. In the first place it seems fairly evident to all of us that Jesus is giving the disciples and their followers a practical lesson in humility. St Benedict is very clear to his monks that the way of humility is the path which leads to God. We do well to remember this in our all-too-assertive world. Humility is an undervalued virtue today. We have become like proud Romans once again who believed that the humility of the Christians was responsible for undermining a civilisation which depended upon physical might and manly virtue if it was to be sustained in the face of a hostile world. The Christians, on the other hand, and we count the sons of St Benedict among the devoted followers of Christ, believed that humility was part of a whole new world order which would bring lasting peace if only it was adopted in its entirety. Secondly we find some of the Fathers of the Church who maintain that Jesus washes the feet of the disciples because it would be their feet which would carry them all over the known world bringing the good news of salvation. The feet, therefore, needed a special blessing.
What was the content of the gospel of salvation? That Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind and rose again to bring us to new life. That he commanded us to follow in his footsteps. That on the night before he died he took bread in his sacred hands, and broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me'. And at the end of the Passover meal he took the cup filled with wine and said, 'This is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me'. With these words and actions Jesus took the Passover meal, the memorial meal of the people of the First Covenant and made it into the new memorial meal of the Christian Covenant. When Christian men and women gather together in Christ's name, when they listen to the words of Scripture, when they break the bread and drink the cup, they make present the Body and Blood of Christ which in turn makes present the Church which is his mystical body on earth.
You and I are the successors of those who gathered in the Upper Room with Jesus. Like them we are a mixed bunch. Many of us, no doubt, come to this Maundy Thursday liturgy deeply conscious of our waywardness, our broken promises, our sinfulness. We know that we are weak people. But Jesus said that he came to call the sick and sinners not the fit and virtuous - and so we take our place here tonight. In sharing this liturgy together we are committing ourselves to change. We are promising the Lord once more that we will listen to his voice as he speaks to us in words and actions over the coming days. And we are committing ourselves to go out into a world, which in many respects has lost its way, to preach the good news of salvation. This good news is very simple: cast aside the words and deeds of darkness, cast aside self-interest and selfishness. Embrace the words and deeds of light. In our words and deeds we promise to live for others and so bring the Gospel of Christ to life in our world today.
Rt Rev Cuthbert Madden OSB, Abbot of Ampleforth