Week 24 - The last supper

Meditation Delft 11-4-25

Song ‘As I have done for you’, BB 143; preparatory prayer.

So for tonight I propose a meditation on Jesus who at the evening of the Last Supper washes the feet of his disciples. (reading)

Jesus has always loved his own who were in the world, not only because He created them but because He chose them to be his disciples. God the Father has given him all things into his hands. Jesus also knew his betrayer and his persecutors. And He knew that He came from God and was going to God. But, although He knew this about himself, He wanted to demonstrate his great love for his disciples and give us an example of humility by carrying out the task of a human servant rather than of the Lord God. In this way, the Lord’s lowliness stands as a warning that however great we may be, we should humble ourselves in all things and never boast about God’s gifts.

Jesus then starts to wash the disciples’ feet. St. Augustine has commented on this scene as follows: ‘He who laid aside his garments is the same who, being in the form of God, emptied himself; He who girded himself with a towel was the one who, taking the form of a servant, was found as man. He who put water in a basin to wash the feet of his disciples poured his blood upon the ground to wash away the filth of sinners. He who dried their feet with the towel he had wrapped around himself was himself clothed with flesh and made firm the footsteps of the evangelists. He removed his garments to tie the towel around himself; when He emptied himself to take the form of a servant, He did not put aside what He had, but took what He did not have.’ Let us take a pause to marvel at what Jesus did and what this means for us.

At the second point of this meditation, we consider Simon Peter’s reaction at Jesus wanting to wash his feet. He became frightened and was utterly stunned and refused to permit something that in his opinion was so inappropriate. Jesus says to him: ‘what I do, you do not know now.’ It is an example and a mystery: an example of humility, and a mystery signifying inner cleansing. Peter will understand later when he receives the Holy Spirit. In this scene, as soon as Peter hears Jesus’ warning that if he does not let him be washed, he cannot share in Jesus’ inheritance, then he changes his mind. Again according to Augustine, the whole person is cleansed in baptism. Peter erred in offering his whole self to God for washing, and God corrected him so that we in our turn would not err. Still, once we are baptized, we need to be purified again every now and then, because our feet are frequently muddied by contact with earthly, temporal concerns.

Jesus’ humility is so great that He also washes Judas’ feet, although He knew that Judas would betray him. In this way, the Lord comforts us in our weakness: He gives us an example, so that we will not be scandalized if we are betrayed by a friend, or let down by a colleague, or have to endure any other kind of bad treatment from others. Let us pause by meditating what this gesture of Jesus washing all the disciples’ feet means for us.

After Jesus had washed their feet, He sat down to teach. He sat down at the table to celebrate the Supper of his Body. He explained to his disciples why he washed their feet – as an example of the service they should give to one another.

He teaches them that precisely as their Lord and Master He has washed their feet, so they must also wash each other’s feet and humbly place themselves at each other’s service in all things. So this gesture of humble service was intended to symbolize every form of mutual care. According to St. John Chrysostom, the Christian religion is more about the way we act than the deed itself, because the Lord attends to why we act rather than to what we do. Jesus teaches humility by example, because in matters of human conduct actions speak louder than words. Therefore, it is important that we give a good example by our behaviour. How can we fulfil the Lord’s commandment both literally and spiritually. Literally, by serving one another in charity. If we are not able to do this literally by the work of our hands, for instance because we are studying fulltime, let us at least do so in our hearts. Besides that, we can wash each other’s feet spiritually when we wipe away their sins to the best of our ability, first by forgiving each other’s offenses, second by praying for the sinner and third, in confession. If we know how to serve one another, Christ says, we are blessed if we act accordingly. Let us now pause for a while to consider how we can learn from Christ’s example.

Inner conversation

The Last Supper (John 13: 1-20)

Preparatory prayer. To ask God our Lord the grace that all my intentions, actions and spiritual activities may be purely directed towards the service and praise of His Divine Majesty.

First introduction. Recalling the history of what I am about to contemplate.

Second introduction. Seeing the place. The place of the supper, whether it is large or small, and what it looks like.

Third introduction. Asking what I desire. Here that will be: grief, deep feeling and confusion because it is for my sins that the Lord is going to the Passion.  

First point. During supper, Jesus begins to wash the disciples’ feet.

Second point. Initially, Peter refuses to let his feet be washed by Jesus. 

Third point. Jesus explains what He has done.

Inner conversation. At the end, you can hold an inner conversation. Thinking about what you want to say to the three divine persons or to the incarnate eternal Word or to His Mother, Our Lady. According to what you feel in yourself, you ask what helps to follow our Lord, who became man for us, more and act according to his example. Then pray an Our Father.

The Last Supper (John 13: 1-20)

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. 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. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’ From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”