Holy Thursday: Message from Fr Joe Caddy

This night we commemorate the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples.

This night we are called to join with Jesus, to come to the table and to share that supper with him. As we sit at table with our blessed Lord, sharing this sacred meal, what is it that we would like him to see in us?

Maybe we would like Jesus to notice our sparkling personality and great table fellowship, maybe we would be happy for him to notice those good deeds and works of kindness and charity that we have performed over the last few weeks of Lent. We would almost certainly want to present to Jesus our best nature and finest features.

But then where does Jesus meet us? At our feet! He calls us to remove our shoes and socks – he takes our feet tenderly and he washes them.

Oh the indignity of that. Never Lord, You shall never wash my feet! Our feet? Maybe a little misshapen, maybe a little sweaty after the day’s activity – suddenly we are vulnerable.

These are not our finest features at all and yet here is Jesus – holding them lovingly and calling us to do the same to one another.

Jesus comes not to the places where we feel successful and proud but to the places where we feel shame and vulnerability. Jesus turns up at the places in ourselves that we take care to keep well hidden. He comes to the places of pettiness, meanness, selfishness, fear and weakness. And it is in these places that he holds us and washes us and loves us.

The Apostles join Jesus at the last supper – in the treachery of Judas, in the cowardice of the others who, when things get tough, will run away, who will deny they know him and lose trust in all he has taught them.

And this is where we join Jesus at the last supper too. It is to these places of brokenness in us and in our world, that Jesus gives of his body and blood.

Take this all of you and eat of it for this is my body given up for you.

Take this all of you and drink from it. This is the chalice of my blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

Joe Caddy