Daily Readings - Thu Mar 29 2018

First Reading - Exodus 12.1-8, 11-14

¹The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt²"This month will be for you the beginning of the months. It will be first in the months of the year³Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month, let everyone take a lamb, by their families and houses⁴But if the number is less than may suffice to be able to consume the lamb, he shall accept his neighbor, who has been joined with his house according to the number of souls that may suffice to be able to eat the lamb⁵And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a one year old male. According to this rite, you shall also take a young goat⁶And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel shall immolate it toward evening⁷And they shall take from its blood, and place it on both the door posts and the upper threshold of the houses, in which they will consume it⁸And that night they shall eat the flesh, roasted by fire, and unleavened bread with wild lettuce¹¹Now you shall consume it in this way: You shall gird your waist, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall consume it in haste. For it is the Passover (that is, the Crossing) of the Lord¹²And I will cross through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man, even to cattle. And I will bring judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord¹³But the blood will be for you as a sign in the buildings where you will be. And I will see the blood, and I will pass over you. And the plague will not be with you to destroy, when I strike the land of Egypt¹⁴Then you shall have this day as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a solemnity to the Lord, in your generations, as an everlasting devotion

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 11.23-26

1 Corinthians

Chapter 11

²³For I have received from the Lord what I have also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the same night that he was handed over, took bread²⁴and giving thanks, he broke it, and said: "Take and eat. This is my body, which shall be given up for you. Do this in remembrance of me.²⁵Similarly also, the cup, after he had eaten supper, saying: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he returns

Gospel - John 13.1-15

John

Chapter 13

¹Before the feast day of the Passover, Jesus knew that the hour was approaching when he would pass from this world to the Father. And since he had always loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end²And when the meal had taken place, when the devil had now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him³knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he came from God and was going to God⁴he rose up from the meal, and he set aside his vestments, and when he had received a towel, he wrapped it around himself⁵Next he put water into a shallow bowl, and he began to wash the feet of the disciples and to wipe them with the towel with which he was wrapped⁶And then he came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to him, "Lord, would you wash my feet?⁷Jesus responded and said to him: "What I am doing, you do not now understand. But you shall understand it afterward.⁸Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you will have no place with me.⁹Simon Peter said to him, "Then Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!¹⁰Jesus said to him: "He who is washed need only wash his feet, and then he will be entirely clean. And you are clean, but not all.¹¹For he knew which one would betray him. For this reason, he said, "You are not all clean.¹²And so, after he washed their feet and received his vestments, when he had sat down at table again, he said to them: "Do you know what I have done for you¹³You call me Teacher and Lord, and you speak well: for so I am¹⁴Therefore, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another¹⁵For I have given you an example, so that just as I have done for you, so also should you do

Sermon

The readings today take us on a journey through the heart of our faith, revealing the profound connection between sacrifice, service, and the enduring presence of God in our lives. In the first reading from Exodus, we witness the institution of the Passover, a defining moment for the Israelites as they prepare to escape slavery in Egypt. The lamb’s blood, smeared on the doorposts, serves as a sign of salvation, protecting them from the angel of death. This rite is not just a historical event but a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who would shed his blood to save humanity from sin and death. The Passover reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the liberating power of his love. In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, we hear Paul recounting the institution of the Eucharist. On the night before his betrayal, Jesus takes bread and wine, giving them new meaning as his body and blood, offered for the forgiveness of sins. This sacred meal is not just a commemoration but a living encounter with Christ, who continues to nourish and unite us in his Body, the Church. The Eucharist is both a remembrance of his death and a celebration of his resurrection, drawing us into the mystery of his saving love. Through this sacrament, we are reminded that we are part of a story much larger than ourselves, a story of redemption and grace. The Gospel from John deepens this mystery as Jesus humbles himself to wash the feet of his disciples. This act of service is not just a gesture of kindness but a revelation of the very nature of God. Jesus, the Lord and Teacher, stoops to serve, teaching his disciples—and us—that true greatness lies in self-giving love. His command to “wash one another’s feet” is a call to live out this love in our daily lives, to serve one another with humility and compassion. Just as the Passover and the Eucharist remind us of God’s faithfulness, Jesus’ example calls us to fidelity in living out the Gospel. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do we embody the humility and service of Christ in our own lives? How do we allow the Eucharist to transform us, making us instruments of God’s love in the world? And how do we remember the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, trusting in the enduring presence of God in our lives? May we, like the Israelites, mark our hearts with the blood of the Lamb, and may we, like the disciples, follow Jesus’ example of self-giving love. In doing so, we become living signs of God’s mercy and grace in a world that so desperately needs it.