Being an apron Church

Thursday in the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Acts 13:13-25; Jn 13:16-20

Last Friday Pope Francis visited a city called Molfetta in the South of Italy, where he visited the tomb of an Italian Bishop who died 25 years ago. His name was Fr Anthony Bello. This humble bishop is renowned for a particular phrase that he said. The phrase is: we must be an apron church.

Being an apron Church! What a powerful phrase! The inspiration comes obviously from the reading in the Gospel of John: Jesus who wears the apron and washes the feet of his disciples, being of service to others.

Jesus says, "No slave is greater than his master." In other words, do not think that you are doing anything special for being of service to others, and in the same way, "Nor [is] any messenger greater than the one who sent him." In another place Jesus says, when others praise you for having been of service to others, simply say, "We are just servants, we have only done our duty."

One of the most profound experiences that I have ever lived and which I find difficulty to express in words is when in 2012, while working at L'Arche, a community with persons with severe mental disability, on Holy Thursday evening, after Mass we gathered in a circle in the living room. There, persons with disability and assistants, Christians of various denominations and non-Christians, we took it in turns to wash each others' feet in silence.

The humblest thing is not to wash someone else's feet. Actually we like that. It gives us power and it puts us in control. I am of service to you because you need me and that makes me important.

But when you wash my feet, when I show you my feet that have gathered all the dirt that I have collected along the path of my life, then I am putting myself in a vulnerable position.

That is the magic moment where communion really happens, when we realise that we need each other. It is a delicate moment because whoever is in power at that moment can refuse to be of service, or can take advantage of that particular situation. That is why Jesus says, "He who ate my food has raised his heel against me."

But if we take the risk, it is worth doing so, because we would be obeying the beatitude that Jesus gives us today, "If you understand this, blessed are you id you do it." That is the moment when Jesus is present in our midst.