In John’s Gospel there is no account of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. Instead we’re told about his washing the disciples’ feet.
The feet are the lowliest part of a per-son, the most down-to-earth; and so Jesus offered his disciples the most humble service. 
Then he sat down and said, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” In equivalent words, “Do this in memory of me.” 
In even the humblest service we do for one another, Jesus is present; we should talk about a “real presence” in this too, because it’s a kind of Eucharist.
Almost half of John’s gospel is taken up with a description of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
It’s been noted that in the first half of his gospel the words ‘life’ and ‘live’ occur 50 times, but not once in the Lord’s conversation  at the Last Supper. Maybe it’s because Death is hovering near; there’s even a tremendously significant mention of dark-ness: “Judas left...and it was night” (13:30). 
That might seem to make the whole scene a depressing one, but in the Lord’s conversation with his disciples during the Last Supper the word ‘love’ occurs 31 times. Love is not afraid of darkness or of suffering.
It’s easy to love in an atmosphere of light and joy; the test is when hard-ship comes.
A scholar describes the Last Supper discourse in these words: “Jesus dis-regards himself and his suffering, and shows only love for his own and com-passion for their future trials. His words, mingling tenderness, restrained melancholy and triumphant certainty of victory, are set between two actions, one of humble service [washing their feet] and the other of prayer (ch. 17). For all time it is a model of grace under pressure.”
May we have the courage to imitate Jesus as we enter into the mystery of the Triduum of the Lord.