Pope at Mass: ‘Without love
the Church cannot move or grow’
In his homily at Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday
morning, Pope Francis recalls the Last Supper, in which Jesus teaches love in
the Eucharist and service in the washing of the feet.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis at Mass on Thursday said no servant is greater
than the master, reminding the faithful that Jesus left us an example of
service and love at the Last Supper.
He was reflecting in his homily on the day’s Gospel, which
contains Jesus’ words after the washing of the feet at the Last Supper (Jn
13:16-20).
He said it contains three foundational truths for the
Church: Jesus teaches us love through the Eucharist, he teaches us service in
the washing of the disciples’ feet, and says no servant is greater than his
master.
Two institutional gestures: love and service
Pope Francis said Jesus makes two “institutional gestures” at the Last Supper.
Jesus, he said, gives his body to eat and his blood to drink
in the Eucharist. He also washes the disciples’ feet.
“These two actions reveal two commandments that will make
the Church grow, if we are faithful,” he said.
The first commandment is love. The Pope said it is no longer
“love your neighbor as yourself”, because Jesus takes a step further, saying
“love one another as I have loved you.”
“Love is without limits. Without it, the Church cannot
move forward; the Church cannot breathe. Without love, she cannot grow, and is
transformed into an empty institution, made up of appearances and actions
without fecundity. In his bodily actions, Jesus tells us how we should love,
that is, until the end.”
The second commandment, Pope Francis continued, is borne out
in the washing of the feet: “serve one another”.
A warning: humility in service
Pope Francis said the third lesson is a warning. “You can serve, but only I send you and give you a mandate. You are not greater than I.” The Holy Father said this is true and simple humility.
“The awareness is that He is greater than all of us, and
that we are servants who cannot go beyond Jesus. We cannot use Jesus. He is the
Lord, not us. This is the Lord’s will. Giving himself to eat and drink, he
tells us to love one another in this way. Washing the feet, he tells us to
serve each other in like manner. But beware: no servant is greater than the one
who sent him, the master. These blunt words and actions are the foundations of
the Church. If we proceed in like fashion with these three points, we shall
never fail.”
Saints and martyrs
Pope Francis went on to say that martyrs and many saints acted “with the awareness of being servants.”
At the end of the day’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples
that there is one among them who will betray him.
So, Pope Francis concluded with an invitation to take a
moment of silence to allow the Lord to look at us.
“Let Jesus’ gaze enter into me. We will feel many things:
love, maybe nothing… We might feel trapped there or feel shame. But always let
Jesus’ gaze in. It is the same gaze with which he looked at his disciples at
supper.”
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