Daily Readings - Thu Mar 29 2018

Exodus

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,2"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.4If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.5The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.6Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.7Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.8That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.11This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.12"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals-and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.13The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.14"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance.

1 Corinthians

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

John

1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

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.