At the end of this morning’s
first reading, John the Baptist is quoted as saying, ‘I am not fit to undo his
(Jesus’) sandals’. It was the task of a slave to undo the sandals of his
master. John the Baptist is declaring that he is not worthy to perform the lowly
task of a slave for Jesus, because Jesus is so much greater than he is. This
morning’s gospel begins with Jesus having just washed the feet of his
disciples. This was also the task of a slave, to wash the feet of his master.
John knew he wasn’t worthy enough to serve Jesus, even as a slave, yet Jesus
served his disciples as a slave. Here was the Word made flesh behaving as a
slave towards his disciples. It was an extraordinary act of self-emptying and
self-giving love. It anticipated his action of self-emptying and self-giving of
the following day, when he gave his life on the cross for all. It is that act
of self-emptying on the cross that we celebrate in every Eucharist and that is
present to us sacramentally. As Saint Paul says, whenever we eat this bread and
drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. In washing the
feet of his disciples, in laying down his life for them and for all, what Paul
calls ‘the mind of Christ’ is revealed to us. Whenever we celebrate the
Eucharist, we are celebrating the ‘mind of Christ’ and we are being asked to
take on this mind of Christ more fully, so as to become more like him. As Jesus
says in our gospel reading, ‘whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me’.
Jesus wants to come to others through each one of us • AE
…
El mensaje de Jesús a sus apóstoles, discípulos y seguidores es claro: no
debemos confundir el papel de enviados con otros papeles que nos recuerdan afán
de poder y gloria ¡vanagloria! ¡Ay cuántas veces nos ha advertido sobre esto el
Santo Padre Francisco! Sobre el clericalismo, cáncer en la Iglesia… El Hijo del
hombre vino a servir y a lavar los pies a todos, especialmente a los más pobres;
y esta actitud, característica del Dios encarnado, es intocable, imborrable,
irrenunciable. Quien actúe de otro modo en la Iglesia, no es fiel al Señor ni a
su conciencia. La dignidad de quienes hemos sido enviados por Cristo a
proclamar el Reino es grande, pero no por nuestro poder material, sino por la
gracia de salvación que llevamos en el mensaje -el evangelio mismo- a pensar de
nuestros pecados y de nuestra a ratos pobre y vida. Hoy podríamos preguntarnos -sacerdotes,
diáconos, laicos- si nuestra actitud como evangelizadores, como anunciadores
del Reino es realmente la que espera el Señor, si vivimos llenos de delicadeza,
de generosidad y con entrañas de amor misericordioso • AE
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