After carefully studying the ritual for the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, and with prayer, discussion and reflection, the Liturgy Commission has decided that we should do the traditional ritual of washing of the feet (mandatum) of selected members of the congregation this year. This is a departure from the St. Malachi tradition of hand washing that has continued for many years and so the washing of feet may not be familiar to many people who regularly attend Holy Thursday Mass at St. Malachi. Especially because of this, it may be helpful to reflect on the purpose and meaning of the washing of feet.
It may be tempting to focus on personal preferences and immediately react in terms of “I like this” or “I’d rather do that” ritual. What may be more helpful is to enter into reflection on the symbolism and meaning of the foot washing ritual itself. This will prepare us not only to understand, but to pray the ritual on Holy Thursday.
Gabe Huck reflects on the washing of the feet as an introduction and way to enter into the prayer of the Triduum [“three days” – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday Easter Vigil]:
The mandatum rite is meant to be much more than the re-enacting what Jesus did. It is even more than fulfilling his words to “do what I have done to you.” The ritual washing of feet, whether or not such a gesture is any longer part of a people’s common practice, powerfully expresses Holy Thursday night: first moment of the church’s Triduum in which such signs of gentle attention and service say what we have received from our Lord. This Passover we have entered contains a very specific vision of the universal human theme of death and resurrection. Volumes and centuries of witness have helped to express this. And as Paul said, every time we break bread and share the cup we are proclaiming it. But in these three days the Christians who gather to pray need once-a-year prayers and gestures. Mandatum is one of these. To wash one another’s feet is to get very close to what makes us church, to our Easter Triduum. We do so in the presence of our “elect,” those who will be baptized at the Vigil; it can be the image of the church we wish to be and offer to them.
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Don’t be hasty to discard the traditional mandatum. True, it is not “contemporary” but neither is breaking bread or laying on hands, yet all these are far more than relics of other cultures and times. They need only be done with care and beauty to release the power of meaning beyond surface impressions. Foot washing is that kind of gesture also, if the ones involved care about what is happening, know it is a gesture that expresses and judges their lives. [Gabe Huck, The Three Days: Parish Prayer in the Paschal Triduum, 1981]
In his blog post, Hugh McNichol reflects on the meaning of the ritual symbolically:
Religious signs and symbols are usually very misunderstood by Catholics. The reason is not that we do not have lots of them for personal spiritual contemplation, but that the entire concept of sign and symbol is frequently lost in modern perceptions that usually involve politically correct assumptions. One great example of this confusion is the ritual Washing of the Feet, at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. The optional observance of this ritual in the Holy Thursday liturgy has both sign and symbol dimensions associated with the actions. Jesus’ washing of the feet of the disciples is a sign of Jesus’ humility by performing this act. It is also a symbol of Jesus’ message of service that he conveys to the Apostles by acting as a personal attendant for the needs of the Apostles. Additionally, it is also central to the cultures of the Semitic and Eastern cultures to ritually wash before the participation in a meal. Good hospitality in the Jewish world included the opportunity for guests to “freshen-up,” so to speak. After travel on dusty paths and highways to celebrate the Passover meal, such cleansing would be a welcome relief.
Jesus offers however a strong indication of His determination to perform this act of hospitality for the Apostles as an example of ministerial service for His Apostles. One needs to understand that Jesus is the principle leader of this gathering and the host of the Passover meal. His actions are indeed the antithesis of what one would expect from the host in similar situations. One for example would not anticipate (the) President … attending to the needs of his guests personally at a state dinner. One does not anticipate Jesus’ actions of ritual purification. However, that is precisely what He does and the entire notion regarding personal service is conveyed to the Apostles and indirectly to the Church by the actions. [Hugh McNichol, The Holy Thursday Ritual … a Ritual for both men and women (http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com/2008_03_ 13_archive.html)]
When Jesus finished washing his disciples’ feet, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?” (John 13:12) It is a question for each disciple in every age to answer.
What does this ritual mean to you?
What does it mean for St. Malachi, our new parish, formed as a Eucharistic people, united in prayer, welcoming to all, serving those who are poor and in need?
4 Comments
Let me speak as Peter the Rock, for a moment, and say, “not just my feet, Lord, but my hands and head as well . . . ” What if the foot-washing ritual were opened to all who wished to participate? How powerful! To wash away the dust of our Lenten journeys for one another, to provide such welcoming service to prepare for the paschal feast to come! Much less comfortable than hand-washing, to wash each others’ feet is more intimate, requiring much more surrender, tolerance and humility.
We spend enough of our lives as spectators. Liturgy must be the work of ALL the people, not just a “select few.” So if we cannot find it in our comfort zone to invite everyone to the foot washing, then we must continue the hand washing. The suggestion to have those of the washed feet begin the hand washing provides a way to enrich both options, allowing us to continue our tradition within the larger Tradition; to be both servant and served; to both touch and be touched as the Body of Christ.
Please, Liturgy Commission, do not take that away from us.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflections.
What is most striking is how many people seem to equate “not doing” with being “spectators,” i.e. passive, non-participants. How is it that singing, reflecting, watching and listening attentively is somehow the same a being a “spectator” as one might be watching TV or a movie? It is interesting that at football games, the fans are referred to as “the twelfth man” because of the support their active cheering and participation at the game provides for the home team. Teams in all sports seek “home field advantage” for the playoffs. Obviously, they must believe that the fans “watching” the game must be “doing something.”
Liturgy is, indeed “the work of ALL the people” but that does not mean ALL the people have the same role. Liturgical ministers have designated roles at the liturgy, but the entire assembly is called to “full, conscious and active participation” throughout the liturgy – standing, sitting, kneeling, processing, singing, speaking – and, also, watching, listening and reflecting. Equating “spectators” – that is, not “doing” something — with not participating may be a telling reflection of the activism of American culture.
Foot washing and hand washing are two different rites, two different experiences. The observation “much less comfortable than hand-washing, to wash each others’ feet is more intimate, requiring much more surrender, tolerance and humility” is most accurate. Peter’s reluctance to allow Jesus to wash his feet captures this reality. It is also why Jesus tells his disciples, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” (John 13: 14) This is why anyone who would want to participate in washing feet should first have his/her feet washed.
As a member of the Liturgy Commission, I felt I should address the concerns raised by Carol in her comment. I have to admit that, at first, I favored the idea of having the washing of the hands because it was “inclusive”. However, I came to see that having the washing of the feet is inclusive through the prayerful presence of the congregation, and the diversity of those who have been asked to have their feet washed. For me, they represent our parish very well.
The act of washing of the hands involves all who participate in the Holy Thursday liturgy, but the fact that everyone is moving can be somewhat distracting to those who are preparing to, or waiting to, have their hands washed. A more prayerful atmosphere would likely be experienced through our witnessing of the foot washing, and the singing we will do to be a part of the ritual.
It is not practical for people to randomly step forward to have their feet washed at this point. Perhaps in the future it could be done in this manner.
Another aspect of the foot washing which appeals to me is the visual observance of Fr. Tony’s role of priest as servant. The attitude of humility and love expressed through this ritual comes from Jesus directly. We too are called to this humility and love towards each other.
It concerns me to hear a parishioner(s) ask not to have the hand washing ritual “taken away”. It still exists, and can be used in the future. A ritual can be modified to have the experience in a different way. There is room to modify rituals; The liturgy rituals have been modified throughout the years to help to make the mass more meaningful for all of us. Can’t we be open to the possibility that a change will serve to provide meaning in a different way?
I found the entire Holy Thursday service emotionally moving and thank Fr. Tony, Charlene, Kay, Lou, Gary, and Terry for their work — if I forgot to name someone who worked “behind the scenes,” please forgive me. And thank you too.
Peace,
Jackie