Thursday 30 April 2026
St Pius V
Acts 13:13-25. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord – Ps 88(89):2-3, 21-22, 25, 27. John 13:16-20.
Welcome and service
In the reading from the Gospel of John there is a reflection on the action of Jesus as he washed the feet of the disciples. It shows that the focus of the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples was service. This is not about the dignity of the one who serves, but the act of service itself. Within a meal, if we are seated at the table, we often serve each other. We pass the salt and pepper, we pass the bowls of food. As Thomas O’Loughlin said, ‘the meal is the sacrament of human community’. How we serve each other is important and not just those we know and love with whom we eat, but also those sent by Christ. We must welcome and serve the ones sent by Christ and we will not necessarily know who they are. In that way we will be welcoming Godself.
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