John's Black Friday Shoes

Jesus rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later"... ....You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13: 4-7, 13-15)

In the gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke, we read about how Christ instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper just hours before he would be handed over to the authorities and crucified. In John's gospel, however, the focus is put on Jesus washing the feet of his apostles. Jesus tells them (and us) "you should also" wash the feet of others. In this teaching, Christ commands us to be humble, to serve, and know that true love does not exist without sacrifice.

But, you might be thinking to yourself, this is a reading we typically reflect on during our Holy Thursday celebrations. Why bring it up on "Black Friday?"

I admit I have never participated in the "Black Friday" insanity. I hear it can be a fun time and that there are some great deals out there if you are willing to wake up early and fight the crowds.

However, last year's "Black Friday" will be a day that I'll never forget. I was fortunate enough to help lead a group of teenagers from our parish in assisting with the Labre Project through John Carroll University. St. Benedict Joseph Labre was born in 1748 and is the patron saint of the homeless. In short, the Labre Project is focused on bringing friendship to the homeless of Cleveland. The friendships are more important than the warm meals and clothes that are used to help make the initial connections. They go out every Friday night but sometimes they need help from outside the campus community. On holidays and other parts of the year, many students are home and unable to assist so there are opportunities for other groups to plug-in.

Watching the young people of my parish minister to these homeless men and women was very inspiring. At one point, I saw one of our teenagers take her gloves off and give them to woman who was living under a bridge and had no gloves on despite the freezing temperatures.

During another portion of the evening, we met a man named John who, along with his wife, had just gotten off the streets and were living on the third floor of a house on the west side of Cleveland. John only had one arm and he and his wife had very little outside of the comfort of living indoors for the first time in while. When it was made clear to us that John was in need of some shoes, a group of us walked to the John Carroll van which was parked on the street. Even though it was snowing out, John walked barefoot with us to the street. And while he was probably well into his 50's, John exhibited the joy of a child on Christmas morning in anticipation of getting new shoes.

When some of the JCU students found shoes that would fit him in the van, he immediately sat down in the tree-lawn to put them. However, due to him having only one arm, he struggled in trying to put them on. Upon seeing this, a girl named Kaitlyn that was from our parish knelt down in front of him without hesitation. As Kaitlyn took his shoes and slid them on John's feet, I stood there in complete awe. For I think it was at that exact moment, I felt like I was witnessing what Jesus had done 2,000 years ago in that upper room. While she was not washing his feet, the parallels between what I was seeing and we read about in St. John's gospel left me in a near state of shock where I could barely even move because it was such a beautiful and powerful experiene. Kaitlyn, like Jesus Christ, completely humbled herself to kneel on the side of a busy street to help put shoes on this man whom she had only known for a short period of time. And while I can't speak on behalf of John, I can only assume that gift of the shoes he received pales in comparison to gift of love that was given that night.

So as we start this season of preparation leading up to celebration of Christ's birth, I hope you don't get too caught up in "Black Friday" deals or any of the other noise that comes during this time of year. Once you look beyond the lights, the bells, the trees, the cookies, the parties, and gifts, you will see a very humble God. A God who humbled Himself enough to come into this world as a tiny infant in a manger. He would grow up to be a teacher, a healer, and a redeemer. And just like how His life started, Jesus showed perfect humility in the the final hours of his life.

Kaitlyn, ten other teenagers, three other adults, and myself will partnering with the students who organize the Labre Project once again this evening. I don't know the names of who we will meet this time but I do know that in serving them, we will be serving our Lord. (Matthew 25: 40). Now that is better than any other deal you can find on Black Friday!

The Labre Prayer
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, you gave up honor, money and home for love of Jesus. Help us to set our hearts on Jesus and not on the things of this world. You lived in obscurity among the poor in the streets. Enable us to see Jesus in our poor brothers and sisters and not judge by appearances. Make us realize that in helping them we are helping Jesus. Show us how to befriend them and not pass them by. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, you had a great love for prayer. Obtain for us the grace of persevering prayer, especially adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, poor in the eyes of men but rich in the eyes of God, pray for us. Amen.