We are all called to discipleship
by Father John J. Geaney, CSP
April 17, 2014

As we look forward to celebrating Easter, I am reminded that all of us are disciples of the Jesus who rose from the dead and through his suffering for us brought us salvation from our sins. That’s why we shout “Alleluia” in our liturgies and, I would like to think, in our everyday lives. We are freed from our sins. Saved because Jesus died for us and rose again from the dead.

But I am also tugged to think of today, Holy Thursday, and its celebration of the priesthood and Eucharist and the amazing, but sometimes neglected service of the washing of the feet. Why? Because it reminds me so much of the real meaning of discipleship – service to one another.

If you call someone to repair your dishwasher because it’s refusing to wash the dishes anymore, someone will come to get it working again. Oftentimes we refer to that person as a service provider. We usually provide that service provider with a healthy financial reward. The first time we go to wash the dishes after his “service” to us most of us are going to be very grateful because now the dishwasher works. Washing of the feet is not that kind of service.

“Service in the body of Christ is a matter of mutual service: all using their distinct gifts as manifestations of the Spirit’s presence and it is within this mutuality of giving and receiving that we discover our equality and unity.” Those words are from the most recent edition of Worship magazine; penned by Thomas O’Loughlin; Jesus’ intention as we learn in John 13 is that his disciples become a church in which authority flows from discipleship which is seen as service to one another. In all the messiness of towels, and basins and water and feet not quite ready to be washed – in the midst of all that it is

sometimes difficult to understand that we are called as disciples to be of service to one another.

One of the keys to the wonder of Pope Francis is that he believes in the tradition of the washing of feet – and not just the tradition but the reality of being of service to those with whom he shares discipleship in and through Jesus. Like foot washing, true discipleship is often messy.

Pope Francis understands the messiness; he is not afraid of it. And each one of us is called to the same discipleship that our Pope displays so well. That discipleship requires of us that we remember the importance of being of service to all of God’s people; the poor, the neglected, the financiers, those who look like us and those who don’t. If we are to be true disciples of the Risen Christ, then we need to remember the importance of being of service to all our brothers and sisters –those same brothers and sisters for whom Jesus rose from the dead. Those same brothers and sisters who are just like you and me because Jesus died and rose from the dead to bring them and us salvation.

Praise God, Alleluia, and Happy Easter!