The Washing of the Feet
Foot washing seems to be an increasingly common service at local shelters and soup kitchens.
Washing the feet of those who don’t have daily access to a shower, who walk for miles often with shoes that are tattered and torn, and whose feet are typically swollen, calloused and caked in dirt satisfies a basic hygiene need. It also satisfies a basic human need. As one man put it, “It’s the first time someone touched me in 10 years.” The foot washers themselves often come away satisfied with a new perspective. Because they are bent low at the feet of another human being, they are compelled to look up at someone who is used to being looked down upon. It is a humbling act to be sure.
Washing the feet of those who don’t have daily access to a shower, who walk for miles often with shoes that are tattered and torn, and whose feet are typically swollen, calloused and caked in dirt satisfies a basic hygiene need. It also satisfies a basic human need. As one man put it, “It’s the first time someone touched me in 10 years.” The foot washers themselves often come away satisfied with a new perspective. Because they are bent low at the feet of another human being, they are compelled to look up at someone who is used to being looked down upon. It is a humbling act to be sure.
Perhaps this is why in biblical times only slaves and servants washed feet. In those days, where sandals were the footwear of the day, it was common for guests to have their feet washed when they went to someone’s house for dinner. Because the Talmud forbade any Jew (except those in slavery) to wash feet, the host would never wash feet. This is in stark contrast to the gospel we’re about to hear on Holy Thursday. Before the feast of Passover, Jesus wraps a towel around his waist, the traditional clothing of a slave ready for service. He washes the feet of his disciples and tells them they must do the same.
It is this act of humility and service that we enact in our liturgy on Holy Thursday. The priest takes off his chasuble, a sign of his priestly office, puts on an apron and washes feet. Then, in a rare directive, the rubrics suggest that we take up the offertory specifically for the poor accompanied by this antiphon: “Where charity and love are found, there is God.”
O Lord, help us to love you by serving others. AMEN
