National Catholic Reporter Staff, Pope Quote, October 2, 2015
“From our feet, we can tell how the rest of our body is doing. The way we follow the Lord reveals how our heart is faring. The wounds on our feet, our sprains and our weariness, are signs of how we have followed Him, of the paths we have taken in seeking the lost sheep and in leading the flock to green pastures and still waters. The Lord washes us and cleanses us of all the dirt our feet have accumulated in following Him. This is something holy. Do not let your feet remain dirty. Like battle wounds, the Lord kisses them and washes away the grime of our labors.
Our discipleship itself is cleansed by Jesus, so that we can rightly feel ‘joyful,’ ‘fulfilled,’ ‘free of fear and guilt,’ and impelled to go out ‘even to the ends of the earth, to every periphery.’ In this way we can bring the good news to the most abandoned, knowing that ‘He is with us always, even to the end of the world.’ And please, let us ask for the grace to learn how to be weary, but weary in the best of ways!”
Pope Francis, — Holy Thursday Mass, St. Peter’s Basilica, April 2, 2015