Daily Readings - Thu Apr 17 2025
Exodus
1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,2"This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.3Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.4And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,6and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.7"Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.8They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.11In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.13The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.14"This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
1 Corinthians
23For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,24and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."25In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
John
1Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"7Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."8Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me."9Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"10Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you."11For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."12When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.15For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of God’s love and the call to humility and service. In the first reading from Exodus, we hear the story of the Passover, where God instructs the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death will “pass over” their homes. This rite is a powerful symbol of liberation and salvation, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who would shed his blood to save humanity from sin. The context of this reading is the Israelites’ preparation for their escape from slavery in Egypt, and it reminds us that God’s love is always tied to liberation and the promise of new life.
The second reading from 1 Corinthians connects this ancient ritual to the Eucharist, which Jesus instituted on the night before his Passion. Paul reminds us that the bread and cup are not just symbols but the very body and blood of Christ, given for us. This sacrament is a remembrance of his death and a proclamation of his resurrection. The context here is the early Christian community’s celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and it underscores the deep unity we share with Christ and with one another through this sacred meal.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this theme of love and service to its fullest expression. On the eve of his Passion, he humbles himself to wash the feet of his disciples, an act typically performed by slaves. When Peter resists, Jesus makes it clear that this act of humility is essential for true discipleship. The context is Jesus’ final hours with his disciples, teaching them one last lesson about the nature of his kingdom. By washing their feet, he shows that true greatness is found in serving others, and he calls us to follow his example.
These readings are deeply connected. The Passover in Exodus points to the ultimate Passover in Christ, who would pass over from death to life. The Eucharist in Corinthians is the continuation of this mystery, where we receive the gift of Christ’s body and blood. And in John’s Gospel, Jesus shows us how to live this gift by serving one another with humility and love. Together, they remind us that our faith is not just about rituals or doctrines but about living out God’s love in concrete acts of service and sacrifice.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How can we imitate Christ’s humility in our daily lives? How can we serve others, especially those in need? The Eucharist we celebrate is not just a memory but a call to live as Christ lived. Let us approach the altar with gratitude for the gift of Christ’s body and blood, and let us leave with a renewed commitment to serve one another, just as he served us. In doing so, we fulfill the commandment of love that Jesus gave us, and we become the hands and feet of Christ in the world.