wash your friends’ feet

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (from the bible, gospel of john, chapter 13, verse 14 & 15)

ok allow me to back-track to blog on holy thursday, after blogging on good friday yesterday (and today is holy saturday!). actually i wanted to blog on it on thursday itself but no time. i felt that holy thursday is often neglected as not many people (esp. non catholics) know of it.

ok, first of all, FYI, holy thursday, good friday and holy saturday (or easter vigil/eve) are known as the ‘easter triduum’.

to put it in simple form, in laymen (esp. non christian) language, here’s how you look at the easter triduum:

holy thursday – commemorate the lord’s supper.
good friday – commemorate the lord’s crucifixion.
holy saturday/easter – commemorate the lord’s resurrection.
(actually holy saturday is more than that… it is a very significant and symbolic event… something to do with from darkness to light, and also a day where adults will be baptised, but since i wanted to talk about holy thursday, i won’t elaborate on holy saturday).

to continue reading, please click on ‘jog over for more’.

holy thursday is also known as ‘maundy thursday’. the word ‘maundy’ comes from the latin word ‘momantum’ which means ‘command’. for a simpler definition of holy/maundy thursday, click here. the one at the catholic encyclopedia – new advent – site (as i linked above) is too complicated and technical!

however, if you want an even better simpler explanation, try the star paper, which reported on the holy thursday mass yesterday.

what i would like to highlight about holy thursday is the washing of feet. this act is to symbolise servanthood and humility. refer the quote right in the beginning – jesus, though he is the master, he washes the feet of his disciples to set an example for his disciples that they must wash each other’s feet. (‘washing of feet’ have deeper meaning too, not only literally).

now, normally people get quite put off at the thought of washing other people’s feet, right? not only they feel it is unhygenic but they feel so ‘low’ to wash people’s feet! for that i would say i’m proud that the catholic church started this practise in the holy thursday mass to let the priests humble themselves to wash the feet of their parishioners. can you imagine our prime minister washing the feet of his rakyat?? no way eh!

now, i once experienced this washing of feet too. you see, a priest gave us a talk something about the eucharist and reconciliation, and after the talk, he suddenly took out 3 pails of water and some cloth, and asked us to invite someone to the front and wash her/his feet! of course those who were invited felt very honoured. i was invited by a friend, and after he washed my feet, i washed his in turn! then later on, i invited my sister to wash her feet. as this gesture symbolise ‘servanthood’ or service to each other, my willingness to wash the feet of my sister means i am prepare to do whatever help she need from me (or i try to!).

ok. should i back-track again… to palm sunday, which begins the holy week? haha. better not. this post is already long enough. sorry if it is boring to you. ok. am waiting for easter tomorrow… time to wish each other happy easter then! (don’t worry, i won’t blog about it).