In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

How very alike we are to the Disciples and Apostles, even to this day. As the Disciples, and Apostles were weak, and tired, and afraid, so we still spend our lives being weak, tired, afraid, distracted, and out-of-focus. We are not necessarily paying close enough attention or knowing in what direction we’re going. Because of distractedness, forgetfulness, and so forth, we human beings tend to live rather a foggy existence

It’s important for us to remember when we are standing here today,that as we are passing through these days of Holy Week, we are passing through these days not just here (thousands of kilometers away from Jerusalem, in 2008), but we are also, 2,000 years ago, in the presence of the Saviour, in the presence of those Disciple and Apostles. We are actually, in the heart and spiritually, participants in those Saving Events.

So, while the Saviour is washing the feet of the Apostles, we are present, there, at the same time, and He is washing our feet, also. In a cathedral or in a larger monastery, this actually is supposed to be repeated, with the reading of the Gospel about it by the bishop or the abbot of the monastery. I know that it is not done so often in North America. True, it is done in Jerusalem, and it is done in many other places around the world. still, it is not done in as many places as it might be done. I rather suspect that this has to do with our general lack of focus, our own weaknesses, and maybe, sometimes, we are just not worthy to be able to represent certain things like this.

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve", says the Lord (Mark 10:45). He demonstrates this very concretely by the washing of the feet. The washing of the feet is something that was done only by a slave. We use in our English translation the word “servant” which in our English translation (and our mentality, too) means someone who is paid to do things for you. But no, it is not a servant in the way we mean a servant. It’s a slave, a person who is attached to another person, subjected to another person, under obedience one hundred percent in everything to the other person. The slave is required to do these things because that person is the property of the owner of the slave.

Jesus Christ, our self-emptying God, the Word of God, empties Himself, and He takes the form not of a servant, but of a slave. He serves us. He shows it very concretely in the washing of the feet of the Apostles, and He shows it in every other way imaginable, also. Who is it that teaches? It is He. Who is it that heals people of their diseases? It is He. He does it for free. He does it without pay. He does it out of love. Who is it that raises people from the dead – like the son of the widow of Nain, and like his friend Lazarus who had been dead for four days? It is He, who out of love, serves us. Who is it that answers our prayers? Who is it that listens to us pouring out our hearts to Him, complaining about the state of our lives all the time? It is He. Who is it that comes, and meets us in the pain of our hearts, and assuages our pain? It is He, our Saviour, the Word of God, who empties Himself out of love. In every way imaginable, and beyond our imagination, He serves, and continues to serve us.

It’s how parents serve their children, I suppose. You can make that parallel because that’s what parenthood is about. The Lord serves us. He cares for us. He nurtures us. He looks after our every need. He protects us when we are driving on the highway and not paying attention properly. He looks after us when we are flying, He looks after us when we are sailing. He is with us in everything, protecting us, and sending Guardian Angels. He uses the prayers of saints to help us, as well. He is always with us. He is always serving us. This is our way if we are truly going to put on Christ in our baptism (as we are going to be singing very soon).

If we are identified with Him, then our whole life needs to reflect this way of serving from the same motivation. Not just because Christ did it, am I going to try to do it. I can’t try to do it; I can’t do it myself. I have to be filled with the same love which is His, and motivated by the same love that is His, in order to be able to do anything, to be able to survive anything, to be able to pass through every sort of test, and to be able to show in myself Christ, the Lord of the universe, the King of the universe, who, nevertheless, washes the feet of His disciples.

He not only washes the feet of His disciples (as a slave He does this), but in His self-emptying love, through bread and wine He gives to all who are baptised into Him, Himself, in His Body and His Blood. He is still emptying Himself. At every Divine Liturgy it is He, Himself (not the bishop, not the priest) who is feeding you and me with His own Body and Blood. Out of His love He gives us every possible resource to be able to live a life like His, not imitating Him in the way we think of imitation, but participating in Him, so that our life can be like His.

We are today participating in the Event of His Passion. Today we must be ready to participate in Him, Himself, living in the love which is His, sharing this love which is His, and sharing Him, Himself, with each other. In so doing may we shine with His light, with His love, and glorify Him in everything, and refer to Him in everything, to Him, and to the all-holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

† Archdiocese of Canada - Orthodox Church in America