Here’s the deal, my brain is slowing down. By that I mean, when I spoke with my Speech Pathologist at the beginning of this year, she told me that I am slower, but I am not unintelligible, so I don’t need her services right now. MS is a progressive disease, so I’m not sure when I will need it again, but she is already on my team of doctors.
I need to say this first, as I explain that there is ‘method to my madness.’ I want to say that this all started in October 2021. That is when I heard a commercial about the Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz. I started the Bible in 2022 for the first time. I got pressure sores on both of my heels that were a thing from April to November of that year. I think the pain was a lot more excruciating than I was experiencing, but I got through it. actually, my Mom and I got through it! She took such good care of my feet!
I am in my third read through of the Bible and yesterday, I heard John chapter 13, 14, and 15. That is the beginning of the Lord’s passion, and when Jesus washes the apostles feet! I listen to the Bible twice in the day. Once when I am trying to wake up and be ready for the day and then I listen to it a second time when I am going to sleep just to hear it again, because I am slowing down, my thought processes, I mean.
I listen to the Bible passages while I am laying in bed for the second time. Last night, Jesus washed the apostles feet, and I was completely reminded of Mr. Flint and my New Testament class!!! He washed our feet! He wasn’t going to wash the entire classes feet, rather, I think it was about five or six students. He explained it to us like this, he was going to wash some of our feet and he put our names on pieces of paper. He was going to read the names, and each student would decide if they wanted their feet washed in front of the class.
All I remember is that with each name, nobody wanted their feet washed! And then I remember when he saw my name. He took a breath and said. “Jenny Rios.” I shot up out of my seat and put my arms over my head and yelled as I ran to the front of our classroom like I was on The Price is Rght! I was seated in the back, so it was a very dramatic run! I was way too much back in high school!!! in retrospect, I’m glad that I lived it up because I was not prepared for what MS was going to do to me…
This being the third read through the Bible, but for my second, and for my third read through, I am reading the Bible twice. Maybe this is my fifth time through the Bible?! I will say that I am slowly getting more understanding after hearing the Bible. I thought I had understanding going to a catholic school for my whole life and being a Bible quiz champion. But I did not really know the Bible like I do now!
It’s only now that I understand, or I’m beginning to understand what Mr. Flint was doing! I’ve always thought the washing of the feet was such a beautiful thing at mass on holy Thursday! But when Mr. Flint did it in our classroom, after he was finished, washing my feet, he said, “Your feet are so small!” I remember, laughing and telling him, “These are my feet?!”
So, I drifted off to sleep last night with fond memories of Mr. Flint as I was listening to the passage recounting the Lord‘s passion, and I smiled!!!