What if Lent Could Rekindle Your Faith? Exploring the Kerygma
Life can take us on unexpected paths, and sometimes our faith journey can feel like it’s taken a detour. If you’ve found yourself distant from your faith, or if you’re simply curious about exploring it again, this Lenten season offers a gentle invitation to reconnect. These daily reflections focus on the Kerygma, the core message of Christianity – a message of love, hope, and new beginnings. We’ll be exploring eight key “Acts” of God’s story, from creation to our present call to partnership with Him. There’s no pressure, no judgment, just an invitation to consider a different perspective and perhaps rediscover a connection you thought was lost.
The Kerygma
At the heart of the Kerygma lies the core belief that God, out of boundless love and mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from sin and death. Jesus willingly embraced the Cross, sacrificing Himself for our redemption. Through His resurrection, He conquered sin and death, offering us eternal life. Furthermore, the Kerygma proclaims that Jesus ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower His Church to continue His mission of restoring all of creation.
“Washed in Mercy, Sent in Love”
John 13:1-15
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he 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.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them,
“Do you realize what I have done for you?
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.”
Reflection
This night is unlike any other. The room is dimly lit, hearts are full, and the Lord—your Lord—rises from the table, takes a towel, and kneels before you. The King of Creation bows low, not to be served, but to serve. And with hands that formed the stars, He washes your feet.
On this Holy Thursday, Jesus doesn’t only show love; He becomes love in motion. The footwashing is not a gesture of sentimentality—it is a sign of the radical call of Baptism. Through water and Spirit, you have been claimed for love. And now, the One who has cleansed you invites you to do the same. He says, “What I have done for you, you must now do for others.” This is the mission of the Church. This is the work of restoration: to go low in love, to lift others through service, and to make visible the mercy of God to a weary world.
In this sacred act, we see the very heart of the Kerygma—God’s mercy poured out in Christ. The invitation is personal and profound: Will you let Jesus kneel before you? Will you receive His mercy, and then rise to carry that mercy to others? Our Baptismal promises are not simply words spoken once at a font; they are renewed every time we wash another’s feet—whether in spirit, in forgiveness, in generosity, or in sacrifice.
Let your “yes” tonight be quiet but resolute. Let your towel be ready. For the one who kneels before you now is also the one who goes to the Cross for you tomorrow—and He asks only that you love as He has loved you.
Action
Choose one person today whom you can serve quietly and intentionally. Whether it’s offering a listening ear, preparing a meal, or forgiving someone from the heart, do it as if you are washing their feet. Let it be your “yes” to the restoration mission of Jesus.
The Kerygma
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post