Washing One Another’s Feet
Written by Sr. Carolyn Carlisano, ASCJ
Our Lenten journey is coming to a close. Holy Thursday will soon mark both the end of Lent and the start of the Easter Triduum—the summit of the liturgical year.
We begin this sacred period with John’s Gospel, in which he emphasizes Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. In this humble task, Jesus is demonstrating that He is kneeling before the needs of others. His example of a simple act of hospitality is not beneath Him. Instead, it captures His purpose: to be of service, willingly and humbly. I would imagine Jesus expected that His example would become a way of life for His disciples and for us as well. Jesus’ actual words in the Gospel certainly expressed this desire when He says, “If I, 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.”
Where the other Gospels have Jesus speaking the words of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, John’s Gospel has Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. For John, this gesture replaces the words of institution. It clearly explains what the Eucharist is, in fact, meant to do— to lead us out of the church and into the humble service of others. Fr. Ronald Rolheiser sums this up perfectly: “This is what the Eucharist means. It asks us to move beyond our divisions and reach across our differences by this kind of humility.”
During this Holy Week, let us take some quiet time in prayer to ponder this Gospel and all the powerful readings of each day to consider how we can participate in the washing of another’s feet. How can we help in the cleansing process of another, in helping another experience acceptance as a loving child of God?