Why not the feet?

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood; the 2 great Sacraments of His Enduring Presence. The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist celebrates his presence, and the Sacrament of the Ordination which anoints chosen men who will represent Christ to all. On the day Christ instituted them, he also teaches us the greatest of all lessons: to love one another as he loved them.

Let us therefore savor the festive and intimate atmosphere of this celebration, by recalling our sins and asking the Lord for his forgiveness and mercy.

H O M I L Y

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Pwede niye bang tignan ang inyong mga paa? Naaalagaan pa ba natin ang ating mga paa or baka naman may kayo na dahil sa kakalakad at kakatayo, baka naman pasmado na sa pagud at kakatrabaho?

Sa aking Opinyon, mas napapagud ang paa kaysa sa mga kamay dahil maliban sa kakalakat ay binubuhat nito ang ating katawan, lalo na pag mabigat ang ating timbang.

Peter refused his feet to be washed by Jesus because Peter was not yet attuned with the real characteristic of the mission of Jesus. Para kay Pedro, ang paghuhugas ng Paa ay Gawain ng isang alipin, katulong, o tagasilbi.

A Master never washes the feet of his servants. For Peter, Jesus is a master typical to our understanding of this title. Master, Panginoon, mananakup, nag-uusos, masagana ang buhay, may mga alalay, komportable. But Jesus is more than just a Master.

For the longest time that Jesus was with them, - that Peter was following Jesus, Peter, at this point missed the fact that Jesus is not just a Master but also a Teacher.

Jesus was first and foremost a Teacher.

Peter must only have stored memories of Jesus healing the sick, rising the dead, multiplying the bread and the fish. He was witness to all these.

Peter was even witness to glorious events like the Transfiguration, the calming of the storm, and the bounty catch at the lake of Genezareth. And He must have been overwhelmed by these events so much so that he might have forgotten that this master taught in synagogues, taught to the crowds and the chief priests. May be it slipped his mind.

But clearly, at this point, he forgot that Jesus went from one place to another.

Jesus was a traveller….

Jesus was a missionary….

His master was going to near by villages, most of the time walking.

Jesus taught his disciples many things. But among these things he taught them how to walk, to go, to journey, to travel, to go to the missions.

Peter must have also forgotten or have set aside the fact that Jesus taught him to WALK on WATER. Peter’s feet were actually walking on water.

For Jesus, this moment, this washing of the disciples’ feet was an intimate moment whereby he reminds them of the good days past when they went from one place to another. It was a celebration of their friendship. It is also this day [maundy Thursday] that the disciples and us are reminded that we are no longer slaves but friends of Jesus.

The washing of the feet is a celebration of their friendship and the reminiscence of their traveling together, going to places proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Yet, these feet now assume a new meaning in this washing. With the Washing, the disciples are now assuming a new identity, a new function, a new mission.

When Jesus responded to Peter’s refusal, ang Sinabi ni Peter: “Lord, wag lang ang mga paa ko kindi pati na din ang kamay at ulo ko.”

Most often, we disregard the feet over other parts of the body. Clearly, para kay Pedro mas mahalaga ang kamay at ulo as if the washing of the feet is not enough.

Di ba mga Pedro din tayo?

Mas importante sa atin ang Face Value. Dapat maganda o gwapo. Dapat Malinis ang mukha. Dapat bagong gupit.

The face could be an object of our pride and ego. Kaya nga sinasabi natin, mataas ang tingin sa sarili, o di kaya malaki na ang ulo, o di kata naka-chin up, o di kata nakataas ang kilay.

The head often symbolizes ego and pride. The face could express our achievements and giftedness of beauty, maganda or gwapo. The face expresses, and it is the seat of comparison, the seat of being way ahead from the rest. Kaya para sa atin, kagaya marahil ni Pedro, ay importante at mas binibigyang pansin ang mukha, o ang ulo.

Ganun din ang kamay. Sa kamay pwede tayong magmalaki. Nasa kamay ang pagiging talented, nasa kamay ang mga achievements, nasa kamay ang mga possessions, ari-arian. Nasa kamay ang mga titles. The office and position we hold.

Sa kamay matatagpuan ang mga bagay na pwedeng ipagmayabang.

Kagaya marahil ni Pedro, hinahamak natin ang ating mga paa dahil ito ay mababa, natatakpan ng sapatos, wala sa sakop ng ating paningin, at minsan namamaho.

But the feet is a silent witness of what we have done, and where we come from and where we are going. It is a silent and lowly proof of our persistence and devotion. More than the face and the hands, the feet have joined us in carrying our crosses. It is the part of the body that carries the whole weight, the whole burden.

The feet is a silent witness of our sinfulness and our effort to rise up again and go back to God.

Unlike sa kamay at mukha, wala tayong maipagmamayang sa ating mga paa maliban sa ating mga napuntahan. But even the places we have been to reflects the kind of person that we are. It takes a conscientious decision to go to a place for a reason. Saan ka ba palaging pumupunta? The feet is a silent witness to our character and devotion.

Noong ako po ay nasa Mangyan exposure, naassign ako sa Naswak, sa Bongabong Oriental Mindoro. Sa Tribong Bangon. Syempre napakalayo galing sa bayan. Dadaan ng ilang bundok at kapatagan, tatawid sa napakalawak na ilog, at maglalakad ulit sa malawak na natalahiban para makarating sa area.

Noong papunta ako, puro kalyo at pasma na ang paa ko at lumilitaw na ang mga ugat. Habang naglalakad ako, ang nasa sip ko ay: “Napakalayo, napakaliblib ng lugar na ito. Paano kaya nahanap ng mga misyonero ito? Paano sila napadpad dito?”

Doon ko mapag-isip ang mga sinaunag misyonero at misyonera. Sila ang mga trailblazers. Nauna sila upang tahakin at gumawa ng mga trails o daanang-paa. Trails na magiging palatandaan ng mga susunod pang mga misyonero. And so I realized I was walking through the trails traversed by the early missionaries.

As religious, our feet are necessary let alone for us missionaries. It was you Blue Sisters who went ahead to be trailblazers in the mission. You, pink sisters use your feet your legs in kneeling in praying for us for the missions.

The feet is very important for us.

Peter, during the persecution of Jesus ran away to hide himself. But after the resurrection he ran to see Jesus in the tomb. When Peter was crucified, his feet were up over his body. He said he was not worthy to die like Jesus.

But for us, his feet is a testimony of his witnessing and convictions.

Testimonies of how he doubted and sank.

Testimonies of how he ran away in denial, and how he ran towards the tomb.

Testimonies of how he journeyed with Jesus.

How about our feet?

Do they reflect our witnessing?

Do they testify to our humility?

DO they reflect the vows?