Daily Readings - Thu Apr 01 2021
Exodus
1And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,2This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.3Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:4And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.7And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.8And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.11And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.13And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.14And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
1 Corinthians
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
John
1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.2And supper being ended, the devil having now put 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 was come from God, and went to God;4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.5After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Sermon
Today’s readings guide us through a journey of love, service, and remembrance, weaving together the Old Testament, the institution of the Eucharist, and Jesus’s humble act of washing His disciples’ feet. The first reading from Exodus recounts the Passover, a pivotal moment in Israel’s history where God spared the firstborn of the Israelites, marking their liberation from slavery. This act of divine mercy and deliverance is a powerful reminder of God’s covenant with His people, setting the stage for the deeper covenant to come through Jesus Christ.
In the second reading, St. Paul explains the Eucharist, instituted by Jesus on the night before His Passion, as a sacrament that unites us to Christ and to each other. Just as the Passover meal was a sign of God’s presence and salvation for the Israelites, the Eucharist is the new Passover, where Christ’s body and blood are offered for our redemption. This sacred meal calls us to remember Christ’s sacrifice and to live as a community bound together by His love.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this a step further by not only giving us the Eucharist but also modeling humility and service. By washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus teaches us that love is not just a feeling but an action. He, the Lord and Teacher, stoops to serve, showing us that true greatness lies in self-giving love. This act of humility is not just a gesture; it’s a way of life. Jesus calls us to follow His example, to serve one another, and to love as He has loved us.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith in daily life. Just as the Israelites remembered the Passover to stay connected to God’s mercy, we are called to remember Christ’s sacrifice through the Eucharist and to live as people transformed by His love. Let us ask ourselves: How am I serving others? Am I living with the humility and love that Jesus modeled? May we allow these readings to inspire us to be people of gratitude, compassion, and self-giving love, remembering that the heart of our faith is not just in what we believe, but in how we live it out.