"By washing his disciples' feet at that meal, (Jesus) revealed how to recognize a great lover. The greater the love, the greater the desire to be of service, even in the most humble of actions. Also, Jesus said, loving, humble service is the most powerful cure for the deadly virus of power and prestige."
Fr. Ed Hays, "The Lenten Labyrinth"
Strangely, this reminded me of a show I watched a couple of times called, "Undercover Boss." It was a show where the CEO of big companies, disguised him or herself and went to work in their own companies. Usually, they did three or so starting level jobs, in various locations. They shed the suits, disguised themselves, and went to work in a metaphorical paper hat, for their own company. I didn't see it frequently, but each time I saw it, the CEO found exactly what Fr. Ed describes here. The CEOs were exposed to the "heart" of their own companies and often taken quite by surprise. There was the one guy from 7/11 who couldn't make a decent pot of coffee in one of his own stores, but found a gem of an employee who knew her customers by name and greeted them daily like a long-lost relative. This happened again and again. The CEO's eyes were opened to the beauty of service within their own businesses and they realized they were clueless to what was the real heart of the company--the humble service of the people they were barely paying a living wage. And that is something we all need to learn, Friends. Tonight, Jesus will wrap a towel around his waist, get down on his hands and knees and wash our feet. And, so importantly, ask us to do the same for each other. And our eyes will be opened to a great lover and how to be a great lover. How incredibly beautiful! Love, heidi
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