Gospel JN 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Reflection:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.”
The washing of the feet of the Apostles by Jesus the night before he was crucified was both their call to humility and their pledge to live by Jesus’ example of being a servant to others.
However, knowing that Judas would soon betray him, Jesus said: “But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.”
The Scripture that Jesus was referring to was Psalm 41:9, “Even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted who ate of my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”
There is no greater betrayal than to be betrayed by a friend, someone with whom we have shared our most intimate thoughts, someone who has camped beside us, someone with whom we have shared meals.
Let there be no misunderstanding, no one took Jesus’ life from him. He knew that Judas would betray him that very night. Yet, he did not flee. He allowed God’s will to come about.
Like the apostles, I am called to humble myself to be the servant of others and to submit myself to the will of God. Although I may have small successes, for the most part I fail every day.
Recognizing that the only perfect human being was Jesus, I gave up any hope of attaining perfection long ago. Today, my goal is to make progress toward perfection with the knowledge that I will never be perfect.
So, for me, being a disciple of Christ is a matter of stumbling along, two steps forward and one step backward.
My hope is that by the time I leave this world, I will be closer to perfection than I would have been if I hadn’t tried. As for the imperfections that remain, I’m confident and happy to leave that in the hands of my merciful and loving God.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32