As Jesus approaches His death He is concerned with what His disciples will make of His legacy. In St. John’s Gospel we are given a long “farewell” discourse. In it Jesus prepares His disciples for what is about to happen to Him, and promises that after He has left them His Father will send the Spirit to help them. This evening we are given the account of how before the feast of the Passover Jesus washes the feet of His disciples and tells them to do the same for each other. The washing of feet that takes place today is not a sacrament but a symbolic act by which we make present the commandment of love.
Those things we inherit from those we love can make them present to us. The scriptures and the sacraments of the Church are the inheritance that Jesus Christ has left for us. Do we hold them with the love and respect that speak of our love for Him? This question can be asked of us individually, but it can also be asked of us as a community. What role does the word of God play in our life? Do we as communities of Christians make God’s word central to all we do? Do we treat the sacraments with reverence and place them at the heart of our Christian communities? Scripture and sacraments are the words and acts of Jesus Christ. Through them He calls each one of us to share in the love that brings us healing and unites us to God. There are times in our life when we fail to place His legacy at the center of our lives, but at such times He calls us to place ourselves in His hands and allow Him to wash our feet. In this way we learn to love as He has loved us, and become living signs of His love.