Holy Thursday 2012 St. Mary's Church Fr. Michael Renninger John Was

Holy Thursday 2012 St. Mary’s Church Fr. Michael Renninger

John was drunk. He was waiting in the lobby at the shelter for homeless men. He was so intoxicated that he could not stand up.

Fr. Domenic looked at me, and two other volunteers, and said, “Come help me with John.”

You see, the rules at the shelter were simple: when a man came in the door, he had to put his dirty clothes in the laundry, take a shower, put on clean clothes, and then he could have a warm meal and a bed for the night.

But John was drunk, so he could not take a shower himself. So Fr. Domenic asked us to help. We struggled to get the foul-smelling clothing off of John. Then Fr. Domenic said, “Help me wash him.”

We held on tight in the shower, to keep John from falling. Fr. Domenic used a scrub brush to wash away the dirt from the streets of Philadelphia. John slipped twice. Then Fr. Domenic bent down and washed John’s feet. There he was, this priest who has two masters degrees, kneeling in the shower of a homeless shelter. The water soaking through his black shirt, and Domenic washed the feet of this homeless man named John.

As we dressed John, Fr. Domenic knelt down and put clean socks on his feet. John had become a bit more lucid. He looked down at Fr. Domenic, and John said: “I know I’ve disappointed you. And I promise that I will never come here drunk again. You are so good to me. I am going to change!” John smiled. Fr. Domenic smiled. I was overwhelmed. I just knew that Fr. Domenic’s loving humility had brought about a conversion in this man.

Later, I said to Fr. Domenic – “That was so beautiful! You washed his feet! You showed him love in a humble way – and it has changed his life!”

And Domenic said, “Oh, Michael…John and I have had that same conversation for 6 years. Every night, we wash him. And every night, he promises that he will never drink again. And the next night, he comes back, drunk. It is disappointing, but that’s what happens.”

“The key,” Fr. Domenic said, “is for us to be humble enough to keep loving someone who will disappoint us.”

The key is for us to be humble enough to keep loving someone who will disappoint us.

I am not sure that I ever learned to love John the way that Fr. Domenic and the volunteers did. I am weak. I say that I love people… but if they disappoint me, hurt me, make me angry, then I’m tempted to give up on them. I figure - if you’re going to hurt me, why should I keep caring for you?

But there are many people who are much better at loving than I am. People who are humble enough to keep loving those who disappoint them.

Spouses have to do this. Aren’t there days when your husband or wife lets you down, says the hurtful thing….yet you choose to be humble, and you keep loving the one who disappoints you.

Parents do this. Aren’t there days when your child makes the same mistake, does the same dumb thing, breaks your heart again…and you choose to be humble, and you keep loving the one who disappoints you.

Friends do this. There are times when the other person makes hurtful choices, only calls when they need something, does not thank you for all that you’ve done…yet you choose to be humble, and you keep loving the one who disappoints you.

We work with people who sometimes disappoint us….we live near neighbors who disappoint us…we live in a nation which sometimes disappoints us….we are members of a church which sometimes disappoints us. The question is: will we humbly love those who disappoint us?

That is, in fact, the example and command that Jesus gives to us in tonight’s Gospel. Think about what is happening around that table in John’s Gospel. Jesus already knows that his crucifixion is at hand. He knows that Judas will betray him. He knows that Peter will deny him. He knows that almost every male disciple will flee at the moment he needs them the most. He knows that these friends, whom he loves, will disappoint him, as he is violently put to death.

So, what does he do? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, wraps a towel around his waist, kneels down in front of his disciples, and he washes them. He washes the feet of Judas, his betrayer. He washes James, John, Andrew – who will run away. He washes Peter…who still doesn’t understand what his master is doing.

On that Thursday night, the God of the universe was kneeling in front of sinful people. Jesus, who would be exalted in glory, is humble enough to love those who will disappoint him.

And thank God that he does, because that is one thing that can give any of us hope. Almost everyone here tonight has already been washed by the Lord. On the day we were baptized, God washed us. But my friends, when the Lord washed us in baptism, he knew that he was washing those who would disappoint him. He knew that he was loving those who would betray him. He knew that we would end up to be….imperfect sinners. And we are.

But…our God is so humble, that our God loves those who will disappoint him! We have a God who persistently, overwhelmingly, loves us…even though God knows that we will keep screwing up. Our God send us the rich gift of his love, without holding back, without exception. We have a God who knows that every human being on the planet will be imperfect today – yet our God is like a mother, who looks at her exasperating children and says, “I will love you with an everlasting love.”

Our God loves us so much that our God humbly serves us…God makes the sun to rise, God keeps us breathing, God guides our path, God gives us hope, God forgives, God does not give up… on anyone.

From his humble place on the floor, Jesus says, “What I have done, you should also do.” Notice, Jesus does not say, “What I have done, you could possibly do if you really want to be holy.” Jesus does not say, “What I have done, you might consider doing, if you finally feel like it, or if you have extra time.”

From his humble place on the floor, while his hands are still dirty and wet, Jesus says, “Do it.” As Jesus looked up into the faces of those who would betray him, deny him, and run away from him, he said, “Do what I have done.”

We cannot call ourselves Christians if we are going to withhold our care, or put false limits on our compassion, or pass judgment about who is worthy of our service, or give up quickly on those who promise us one thing, then do another.

Fr. Domenic and the volunteers washed John every day…and they knew they would have to do it again tomorrow. They were humble enough to love the one who disappointed them.

Jesus washed the feet of his imperfect disciples…to proclaim that God loves all of his imperfect children.

From that filthy floor, Christ still looks at you, with hopeful eyes. “Will you follow my example?” he asks. “Will you get off your high horse and get down on your knees to serve? Will you learn to love with relentless generosity? Will you humble yourself enough to love the ones who don’t live up to your expectations?”

The next time you don’t know how to love your spouse, your child, your enemy, your neighbor, or your church…don’t look up for help. Look down…down at your feet….where the Lord of the Universe has been all along….loving you, serving you, upholding you. Our Lord is humble and loving. Can’t we at least try?