He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand Him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God, He rose from supper and took off His outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around His waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, "Master, are You going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I Am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later." Peter said to Him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well." Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all." For He knew who would betray Him; for this reason, He said, "Not all of you are clean."

So when He had washed their feet [and] put His garments back on and reclined at table again, He said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you? You call Me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I Am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."

Today we commemorate the last night of Jesus with His Twelve disciples who join Him in the upper room for a Passover meal. Pesah (Passover) celebrates the "passing over" of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom. Appropriately Jesus celebrates this Jewish meal with His disciples on the eve of His own "passing over" from this earthly life to the glorious life with the Father, from death to resurrection.

Jesus, like any lover leaving a beloved, wants to leave a memento of Himself. He turns bread into His Body, and wine into His Blood, that He may remain with His disciples for always.

Luis Antonio Tagle, bishop of Imus (Cavite), notes the following transformations that happened on the first Holy Thursday:

1. From object to gift. Bread and wine are objects, things to be used. But Jesus blesses these, and they become gifts, living and life-giving, for they are now the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Himself.

2. From master to servant. This is the pedagogy of the footbath: Jesus is Master, but He serves the rest. His greatest service will be the laying down of His life.

May our celebration of Holy Thursday lead us to live the spirituality of "transformation."

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.