by Rochelle Acse
The practice of foot washing on Catholic churches every Maundy Thursday has been around for years, wherein a priest leading the mass will wash those feet of twelve chosen men dressed as apostles as part of Holy Thursday’s mass ceremony. This pattern is not only observed by the Catholics but also by other Christian religions as Adventists, Anabaptists, Baptists, and Pentecostals.
Foot washing has been based on Jesus’s act among His disciples the night before His passion and death on the cross.
At that time, when sandals were the primary footwear used against the dusty roads of Israel, foot washing was a common hygiene practice among Eastern countries before a meal. Since their food is placed in a low table where a dirty feet is closely evident.
In history, by Jesus’s deed to His disciples, he was doing the work of the lowliest of servants.
Furthermore, on the 13th chapter of John, Jesus stood up get himself ready to wash His apostles’ feet that was when they are stunned at this act of humility and service of none other than their Lord and Master, Jesus.
And it can be said at that time it would be more rightful that it was their work to wash His.
On the book of Mathew, He earlier declared He came, “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” That expressed by His act with towel and basin which sooner gave the backbone of His upcoming great act of humility and love on the cross.
As to what Jesus did, His apostles were stunned into silence but Peter, he asked:
"Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
To which Jesus Christ replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No, you shall never wash my feet,” Peter protested.
Jesus Christ answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
In this, Jesus declares His disciples they are far more than His followers but He now liable to them, and always in them.
In this times, rarely we make ourselves to let Him wash us, and permit Him to be liable to us and to be in us.
Do we at any way take off our foot wears, to come with dirty feet and wish to be washed?
Do we attempt to bow down and wash another person’s dirty feet?
And through the cleansing received out of Jesus’s love, He asked those people He left to extend this love as He left them with His word; "A new commandment give I unto you, that you love one another, as I have loved you,".
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