dusty aching feet

Holy Thursday

During the liturgy for Holy Thursday, Catholics recall and celebrate the “Last Supper,” the last time Jesus ate with his followers and friends before he was arrested and executed. They celebrated Passover together, then he went out to become both priest and victim at a new Passover celebration.

One detail of that celebration was that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The point was simple: he serves, we should serve. But this year, I was struck anew by the specifics of his service. We don’t wash anyone else’s feet much in our culture. We wash our own feet. People get pedicures. There’s some interpersonal foot-washing in hospitals and nursing homes, for people who can’t bathe themselves. That’s about it.

In Jesus’ culture, people walked more, and wore sandals that let dust and grime get to their feet a lot more. And he lived in a land with less pavement, less meadow, more dusty desert. I don’t know many people who walk through dusty deserts.

The service that Jesus modeled was not meant to be culture specific. We should help others, with open-hearted generosity, meeting the needs that we see.

And yet, I do know some people with dusty aching feet.

Lord, have mercy.