Holy Thursday

Cuan Mhuire Addiction Treatment Centre, Bruree, Co. Limerick

Homily notes of Bishop Brendan Leahy

In the Gospel we’ve just heard, we see Jesus washing the feet. On the one hand, it’s an act of love, of service on the part of Jesus. On the other hand, it is his way of reminding his followers, the night before he died, of what he had spent his life doing – acts  of love for people – helping the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see, forgiving sins, raising the dead. All his life was one big act of love made up of many acts of love. His life was a live life “for” others.

When Jesus arrived to wash Peter’s feet, Peter objected. He didn’t want his feet to be washed. He might have had all kinds of good or not so good reasons for this. We don’t know. But really what Peter was saying to Jesus was he didn’t want to accept the act of love. He wasn’t prepared to let Jesus serve him and, ultimately, he wasn’t letting Jesus help him.

There’s a lesson for us here. Jesus wants to help us but he can only offer to help, to do the act of love. It’s up to us to accept help, to let him love us, to let him serve us. And this he does now  in all kinds of ways – in those who offer us practical advice, in those who help us overcome our addiction, in those who simply want to be alongside us to support us.

Recently I watched a short video documentary about an addiction recovery programme in Brazil.  It reminded me of Cuan Mhuire. People come to spend time, living the Gospel together and letting the Word of God heal them. I was struck by one of the women who said: “here I have learned that my day can be full of acts of love, right from when I get up in the morning and throughout the whole day”. I was also struck by something else someone else said: “love is a decision”.

Doing acts of love is a great way to live because love heals. It’s good for us to imitate Jesus in doing acts of love. But it is a decision. Each of us has to decide in their own heart – this is how I want to live. But even deeper is the decision – I am going to accept love, accept help, allow myself be healed through the help of others.

This Holy Thursday, then, let’s remember that at every Mass, we remember that Jesus wants to wash our feet and we can go out to wash the feet of others by doing many acts of love – helping, listening to them, putting up with them, giving good advice.

Love is a decision. This Holy Thursday Jesus asks each of us the question: will you decide to love? Will you let me love you and help you? Will you decide to help yourself and others by doing acts of love? And this evening, in a special way, with the example of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, Jesus is saying to each of us: “In the Eucharist I will help you, support you, strengthen you. Come to me, you who are burdened and I will give you rest, I will create a pure heart for you, I will put a steadfast spirit within you”.