Holy Thursday

Have you ever planned a vacation, you counted down the days planning every little detail and writing down things you want to do? As the time approaches the day you are going to leave, maybe, lets say three days before you decide you would actually begin packing and finalizing your preparations. You decide to have friends and family in for dinner to celebrate your vacation and to say good bye before you leave. It's not a final Good-bye, because you know you are coming back, but a get together to show how much you appreciate them.

Holy Thursday is sort of like that to me. When this Church season began on Ash Wednesday, I made a commitment of faith and sacrifice which would be completed on Easter Sunday. This sacrifice in celebration of the remembrance of the Life and Death of Christ our Savior, to help me grow in faith and be a more loving person to others. In the Gospel of John, he talks about the Last Supper and how Jesus washed his disciples' feet before the meal.

In the Church today, they have a sort of ceremony of symbolism as a few parishioners wash the feet of those in attendance. This is to demonstrate the unconditional love Jesus had for his disciples and all people. It is necessary that we realize the love Jesus has for us and so to transform us or we have nothing to offer others. Have you ever attended a Mass or Church service and thought how dull, or you left feeling empty? I know that feeling but now I realize that it wasn't the Priest or the Minister, it was my participation that fell short. For whatever reason, my spirit was somewhere else and I wasn't open to receive the message from Jesus.

Just as we show our love to our friends as we share our meal, Jesus gave himself to his friends and showed his love by washing their feet. Sharing a meal of our best cooking with our friends is the highest regard we have of demonstrating to them how much we care. It is a simple comparison, but we are simple people in the light of the goodness of our Savior.

I hope you have a wonderful Holy Thursday. God bless you!