A Year with Father Eymard – Day by Day, the quote says: A soul that belongs to God finds its whole life in these two laws: God wills it, or God does not will it. The perfection of love consists entirely in doing each thing as God wills it and in God’s spirit.

These words and Ephesians’ English word of “subordinate,” especially with wives, call for a deeper reflection. These words are not part of our cultural sensitivity, yet a “reverence for Christ” is the overarching theme. As Saint Eymard says, perfection is doing God’s will; we are all united in Christ.

Loving calls for mutual respect and allowing God’s spirit to guide us. Having had a couple of requests for their wedding Mass, the “foot washing” from John’s Gospel, and this reading of Ephesians, they explained to me the ties of these readings and how they saw themselves connected to a spirit of service and care. (They were both pharmacists who met at a Newman Center.) They even wished to repeat the Holy Thursday ritual to be part of their “Rite of Marriage” rite, hoping to wash everyone else’s feet. The church schedule had a time crunch. As a compromise, they distributed the Precious Blood at communion, reminding others of serving, or as they felt, being subordinate to the others, especially their parents who lived these readings.

This reflection on the sacrament of marriage may inspire another way of experiencing this “older” Pauline theology. Perhaps it may inspire us today to be humble and of service to someone who needs our care. Either way, Christ’s humility, taking on the role of a servant girl at the Last Supper, reminds us to be humble servants for the liturgy of the world. Who do we wish to serve and care for today?

Prayer:

May we serve you, O God, with all our being, inspiring our souls to wash others’ feet, especially those most challenging. May we grow in humility and recognize those who challenge us, helping us grow in heart and mind through Christ our Lord.