thy grievous crime? O delicate hands, how could you touch so filthy, sordid, and with sin contaminated feet? O pure and unspotted hands, how could you endure to wash those feet, that were stained with going and coming to make a sale of your precious blood? O thrice happy Apostles, did you not tremble and stand amazed at the sight of so great humility? What dost thou do, Peter? canst thou permit the Lord of Majesty to wash thy feet? St. Peter, wholly astonished with the admiration of this spectacle, when he saw our blessed Saviour falling down at his feet, cried out, "Domine, tu mihi lavas pedes?" Lord, dost thou wash my feet? what, art not thou the son of the ever-living God? art not thou the creator of the whole world, the beauty of heaven, the paradise of angels, redeemer of mankind, splendor of thy father's glory, most deep fountain of the eternal wisdom? and dost thou wash my feet? how cometh it to pass, that thou Lord of so great majesty and glory, shouldst thus debase thyself to so vile a service?
Then, consider, how he washed all his disciples' feet, one by one, and after washing, wiped them with a linen cloth wherewith he was girded, open the eyes of thy mind to behold in these mysteries, a representation of our redemption. This linen cloth so wiped their feet, that all the dirt which was upon their feet did stick on the linen cloth, not without mystery.
