Self-Emptying Holy Thursday 2018 Today, Holy Thursday, the Abbot washed the feet of all the members of the community after we had our Seder-Meal. It is a powerful act and one that presents a way of service for all, not only for those who are leaders but also to the least of us. We are all called to serve one another, to empty ourselves in the giving of ourselves. Jesus, in washing the feet of his disciples points to the reality of what Agape (Divine Love) means for us. Jesus shows us that God serves us, washes our feet and this points to the reality of the Eucharist, Christ becomes our very sustenance. Such a reality, which is presented by the Christian faith, is hard to take, even for believers. The love of God is of a different order than human love. However, human love at its purest can give us an inkling of this reality. Power and control are human endeavors. God’s love invites us to a deeply loving relationship and with that, to love others, as well as ourselves. If we spent our time trying to do that, I wonder how different the world would be. It does not matter what state the world is in, or for that matter that perhaps most people can make no sense of what Jesus is trying to convey. Not sure I get it either, or if I do, it is incomplete. What is important is that I seek every day to love more and no matter what, to continue in faith on my journey. Not looking to others, nor being shocked at failures, but to look to Jesus Christ the shepherd of my soul and yes because of Infinite Love, he also serves me. Do not judge, but love and serve, healing flows from compassion anger from contempt.
