So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

John 13: 12-15

Here are the complete readings for Thursday, April 17, 2025.

(“Agnus Dei” by Francisco Zurbaran)

Some memories can be dangerous memories. They could be memories of tragedies or humiliations, but not always. Can we recall the times in which we were invited to reorient our outlook or worldview, and accepted this invitation with all its consequences? The danger comes in the memory of the transformation that was disruptive to our previous place of comfort or familiarity. Surrendering like that is a radical choice and goes against our cultural norms about success and happiness. How do we recall these actions in a way that can change other people and aid in our continuing transformation? This is why rituals can be so powerful in any faith tradition or mission driven community. Rituals recall sacrifice, goodbyes, and loss, but they also signify rebirth and that the hope that this rebirth supplies. As we conduct such rituals, whether the Triduum or any other collective remembrance, let us pray that our minds and hearts are open and that we do not forget.

 
 Study and reflect also
upon the history of the congregation,
for this history
is the actual
lived
expression and development
of your Founder’s charism.
It will reveal to you
the mysterious ways of God
in the cycle of death and rebirth
that has been the life of the congregation. – The Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers

God, thank you for the gift of our loved ones who have gone before us. May their acts of courage help us to love you and our neighbors. Help us remember this gift when we feel most alone. Give us the strength to receive your grace that calls us out of darkness and into new life and ways of being.

Amen