WHO IS THE GREATEST / THE WASHING OF FEET / THE TREACHERY OF JUDAS FORETOLD / THE SUPPER / FAREWELL DISCOURSES / THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST / THE REWARD PROMISED TO THE APOSTLES / PETER’S DENIAL AND REPENTANCE FORETOLD / A TIME OF CRISIS

Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were his in the world, loved them to the end. They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. An argument also began between them about who should be reckoned the greatest; but he said to them, "Among the gentiles it is the kings who lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are given the title Benefactor. With you, this must not happen. No, the greatest among you must behave as if he were the youngest, the leader as if he were the one who serves. For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? Yet here am I among you as one who serves!” Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. He got up from table, removed his outer garments and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist. He then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand." "Never!" said Peter, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus replied, "If I do not wash you, you can have no share with me." Simon Peter said, "Well then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus said, "No one who has had a bath needs washing, such a person is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are." He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said, "Though not all of you are". When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments, again he went back to the table. He said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If then, I, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you. In all truth, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master is; no messenger is greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know this, blessed are you if you behave accordingly. I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled, “Even the friend who had my trust, who shared my table, has scorned me.” (Psalm 41:9)  I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that I am He. In all truth I tell you, whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me." When evening came, he took his place at table with the Twelve. In addition, while they were at table eating Jesus said, "I have ardently longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; because, I tell you, I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and share it among you, because from now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the kingdom of God comes.” Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, “In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me. Here with me on the table is the hand of the man who is betraying me, one of you eating with me." The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant. They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, "Not me, Lord, surely?" The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, 'Ask who it is he means,' so leaning back close to Jesus' chest he said, 'Who is it, Lord?' Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish. Yes, the Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!" Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, "Not me, Rabbi, surely?" Jesus answered, "It is you who say it." When he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.' None of the others at table understood why he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread, he went out. It was night. When he had gone, Jesus said, “Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.” Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing, he broke it and gave it to the disciples. "Take it and eat," he said, "this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them, all drank from it, and he said to them, "Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me. From now on, I tell you, I shall never again drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of God my Father. You are the men who have stood by me faithfully in my trials; and now I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me: you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.” After the psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away from me tonight, for the scripture says, "I shall strike the shepherd, scatter the sheep!" (Zechariah 13:7)  ; however, after my resurrection I shall go before you into Galilee. Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another that everyone will recognize you as my disciples." Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.' Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow you now? Lord, even if all fall away from you, I will never fall away. I would be ready to go to prison with you. I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered him, "Lay down your life for me?' Simon, Simon! Look, Satan has his wish to sift you all like wheat. In truth I tell you, Peter, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will have denied three times that you know me. However, I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail, and once you have recovered, you in your turn must strengthen your brothers." However, Peter repeated still more earnestly, "If I have to die with you, I will never disown you." Moreover, all the disciples said the same. He said to them, "When I sent you out without purse or haversack or sandals were you short of anything?" "No, nothing," they said. He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and the same with a haversack; if you have no sword, sell your cloak and buy one, because I tell you these words of scripture are destined to be fulfilled in me: He was counted among the wicked”. (Isaiah 53:12) Yes, what it says about me is even now reaching its fulfillment." They said, "Lord, here are two swords." Jesus said to them, "That is enough!" “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house, there are many places to live in; otherwise, I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment, you know him; and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, “Show us the Father". Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works. In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth whom the world can never accept since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you. I shall not leave you orphans; I shall come to you. In a short time, the world will no longer see me; but you will see that I live and you also will live. On that day, you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and me in you. Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas -- not Judas Iscariot -- said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will keep my word, my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him. No one who does not love me keeps my words. The word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me. I have said these things to you while still with you; but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Peace, I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace, which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say, I am going away and shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am. I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk to you much longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must recognize that I love the Father and that I act just as the Father commanded. Come now; let us go.” Return