Homilies

Tonight we witness something unexpected: the Lord, the master, the teacher, kneeling at the feet of his disciples. Amidst the echoes of Passover preparations, amidst talk of betrayal and sacrifice, one action pierces through: Jesus washing feet. It might seem odd that on Holy Thursday, the night we celebrate the instituion of the Eucharist, we are given a Gospel that does not explicitly show the Eucharist at all. Instead, we encounter humility in its purest form.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem today not as a conquering king but as the one who willingly goes to the cross. Every step, every gesture of his procession speaks clearly of one thing: the limitless depth of God’s love for us. Yet how often do we doubt this love, feeling isolated by pain, misunderstood by others, or burdened by hidden wounds?

Today, we see Jesus embracing our pain, carrying it deliberately toward the cross. His entry into Jerusalem is more than just a historical event—it is God’s profound declaration that we will never be alone. Our suffering, which we believe isolates us, actually draws us intimately into Christ’s own journey. He makes our loneliness his own; he enters our abandonment, our rejection, our fears, and insecurities.

NB: This Sunday we had the third scrutiny. The homily for the mass with the scrutiny can be found below. The homily for the Year C reading used at the other masses follows immediately:

When the scribes and Pharisees placed a frightened woman before Jesus, they believed they were creating a test—a situation that would trap Jesus into either breaking the law or compromising his message of mercy. But Jesus, seeing beyond their trap, responded differently than anyone expected. Notice an easy to miss detail, his posture, his quiet presence: he bent down, writing silently in the dust. In this simple gesture, he paused the moment, shifting attention away from accusation and judgment.