Love is a Verb
By Deacon Keith Fournier
Deacon
"...let us follow the God who washes feet on the way of poured out love"
(c) Third
Millennium
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"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…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." The Gospel of St John, Chapter 13
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How extraordinary!
The God who fashioned the entire universe, who dwells in inaccessible light, is
now present as a Man among men; serving the very humanity that had been created
through Him. This God, before whom all the Nations will one day bend the knee,
bends His human knee before the ones He had chosen to carry His redemptive
mission forward until He returns in glory. This God, Incarnate in Jesus Christ,
takes up the basin, towel and washcloth.
We behold Divine Love in service; pouring Himself out, like the water in that
basin, in order to make all whose feet were embraced by His sacred humanity
clean all over. This is the mystery of faith that we profess during these Holy
Days, this the way of loving service into which are now invited through our
Baptism into Christ.
St. John would remind the early Christians, in the fourth chapter of the first
letter he would write after recording this Gospel, of the implications of this
event when he wrote:
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves
is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God,
for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his
only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is
love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as
expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one
another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in
us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.”
Here, in this poignant scene recorded by this beloved disciple John, we
encounter Jesus, before he shares a final meal with his closest friends; before
He who knew no sin, would suffer and freely stretch out His sacred arms to
embrace the entire world and join heaven to earth, showing the depth and
substance of true love.
Love is a verb!
Shortly after this event we read of the continuation of this great Act of
poured out Love. First Jesus inaugurates the great meal that is itself the very
heart of the holy exchange, giving Himself as food for those who will make the
journey with Him back to the Father and inviting them to bring the whole world
with them. Then, this Innocent One walks the way of suffering and mounts the
altar of sacrifice, in order to fully pour Himself out - every last drop of
blood and water flowing from His wounded side – on behalf of us all, beginning
creation anew by overcoming sin, paying the debt of justice and defeating the
devil and last enemy, death.
As we enter into this “Triduum”, the great three days, we are again invited to
make the mystery our own. No mere spectators in this Act of Love we are to
become participants. We who bear the name “Christian” are called to pick up
that basin and towel, to climb upon that Cross and to learn –and live- this way
of Love in service. We are called to witness the stone that is soon to be
rolled away and demonstrate our belief in its eternal promise by living like
the God who washes feet. When we do, we make the mystery real on an earth that
still awaits the fullness of redemption.
Shortly after this event we read, in this same Gospel, the continuation of the
love story. This active love of God in the flesh leads Him to that Hill where
he would show the depth and summit of this Love. Next in the sequence of events
however, Jesus inaugurates the great meal that is itself the very heart of the
holy exchange.
There, He gives Himself as food for all those who will make the journey with
Him back to the Father. He becomes bread broken for others. Then, to the ones
whom He invites to table He gives His mission of bringing the whole world along
with them.
Then, the Innocent One freely takes the punishment and derision, caused by the
sins of a world that has forgotten love, upon Himself and walks the way of
suffering. He mounts the altar of sacrifice and fully pours Himself out - every
last drop of blood and water flowing from His wounded side. In that great gift
of Love He begins creation anew by overcoming sin, paying the debt of justice
and defeating the devil and the last enemy, death.
Every morning we are invited to begin again, to choose to make this mystery our
own. No mere spectators in this Act of Love, we who bear the name “Christian”
are invited to become participants. We who bear the name “Christian” are called
to pick up that basin and towel, to climb upon that Cross and to learn –and
live- this way of Love in service. We are called to live in the invitation to washing
feet fulfilled on that Cross on Golgothas’ Hill.
Our faith and love are meant to be active and incarnate.
We are invited to demonstrate our belief in Loves’ eternal promise by living
like the God who washes feet. We are invited to gives ourselves away for
others. Do we? Do we love by pouring ourselves out, even for those whom we do
not feel particularly fond of? Have we grasped the full implications and
invitation of this washing?
Only when we do will we actually help make the mystery real upon an earth that
still awaits the fullness of redemption. Let us choose today to follow the God
who washes feet on the way of poured out love. Let us love in word and in deed.
Let us join the God who still washes feet and continue the work that He began.
On this Holy Thursday, let us follow the God who washes feet on the way of
poured out love.
Love is a Verb