Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 12, 2022
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
John paints a stark contrast between the actions of the Lord on Holy Thursday and the actions of the egotistical traitor, Judas, who ate with Christ and then “raised his heel against” him.
Here, John uses the same, “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me,” language as the humbled King David used in Psalm 41 when he described his son Absalom’s treacherous plot against him.
John employs more Old Testament language when Christ refers to those who understand the salvific meaning of his next three days as those who “believe that I AM.” Those exact two words were spoken in Exodus by God to a humbled Moses when he asked God for a response should the Jewish people ask who sent him.
In one short passage, John reminds us of the humility of Jesus and references the humility of Moses and David. No messenger is more significant than God. In Christ’s words, even he is not greater.
Neither are we. This might be a difficult truth to reconcile with in this age of self-appreciation. The popular and secular culture threatens to prevent us from gratitude and a proper reverence for the humble incarnate Christ, his gruesome crucifixion, and his glorious resurrection.
May we remember, as St. Augustine reminds us, that “our very salvation in Christ consists in the humility of Christ.” Let us ask the Holy Spirit for the strength not to raise our heels against God and for the grace of forgiveness and redemption when our egos get in the way.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, if our Baptism as Christians has incorporated us fully into your life, then we have a responsibility to act and speak as our Father does. You told us throughout the Easter season about your priorities. All too often they are not ours, and for this we ask forgiveness and assistance. We can’t become more fully like you all on our own. Please help us. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Sts. Nereus and Acheilleus were soldiers in the Roman army who were killed for refusing to participate further in persecuting Christians.
The Church has long honored these two saints, and the only certain history we have about them comes from an inscription that was placed above their tomb by Pope St. Damasus. Though it has worn away, we have records of what it said from pilgrims who visited their tomb and copied down the inscription. It describes the two soldiers who followed orders to persecute and kill Christians until they followed the truth they saw in Christ:
“The martyrs Nereus and Achilleus had enrolled themselves in the army and exercised the cruel office of carrying out the orders of the tyrant, being ever ready through the constraint of fear to obey his will. O miracle of faith! Suddenly they cease from their fury, they become converted, they fly from the camp of their wicked leader; they throw away their shields, their armor, and their blood-stained javelins. Confessing the faith of Christ, they rejoice to bear testimony to its triumph. Learn now from the words of Damasus what great things the glory of Christ can accomplish.”
We do not know how the two were martyred, though they were probably beheaded because they were Roman citizens. We can suppose that they, more than most Christians of the day, knew what consequences they would face because of their profession of faith.
A later legend arose about these two martyrs, which stated that they served Domitilla, the grand-niece of the emperor who was exiled for professing her faith. It is likely that this story is inaccurate, though, and simply comes from the fact that they were buried in a cemetery named after Domitilla.
Relics of these two martyrs do rest in reliquary chapel of the Basilica, however. They are depicted here with Domitilla, who used to be listed as a saint, but was removed due to a lack of historical evidence.
Sts. Nereus and Acheilleus, you were martyred for refusing to follow orders to kill Christians—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Sts. Nereus and Acheilleus is in the public domain. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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