Merciful Savior,
We have traveled this long, dusty Lenten journey.
Our feet are tired, dirty, aching, and calloused.
You have shown us Your love by becoming a humble servant.
Humble us when we try to travel without You.
As Christ has washed us, so let us wash one another.
Humble us when we believe some work is below us.
As Christ has washed us, so let us wash one another.
Humble us when we are too proud to accept help, or care, or love.
As Christ has washed us, so let us wash one another.
Humble us when we do not fully receive the gift of Your amazing and bountiful grace.
As Christ has washed us, so let us wash one another.
Amen.
Karen Turner in “Maundy Thursday Responsive Prayer” from the collection of Prayer Liturgies for the Easter Season.
“Maundy” is derived from the latin mandatum, meaning “commandment.” Maundy refers to the command Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: to love one another.
I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35
Taking the form of a humble servant, He exhibited this great love by washing the feet of the disciples. What might this look like for us today? How might you go wash someone’s feet, or rather, humbly serve them to show God’s love today?
And remember, it’s a command, not a suggestion.