A Modern Day Washing of the Feet

“If I, therefore, the 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. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:14-16

As a child, I always looked forward to Holy Thursday Mass. I remember attending this Mass with my Dad and being fascinated with the feet-washing ceremony. I loved having the opportunity to have my feet washed. It made me feel special and important to have someone care for me in that way.  It also felt extra special since washing other people’s feet is so uncommon in our times, but the larger lesson in why Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles–and how that translates to our lives–did not sink in for me until recently.

When Border Patrol first encounters a person migrating, a multi-day process that can feel dehumanizing and, at times, cruel begins. One of the first steps Border Patrol officers take in these interactions is having the people they have apprehended remove the shoelaces from their shoes so they cannot use their shoes and run away. Oftentimes, they are not given their shoelaces back, even when they leave custody. Meaning, when Customs and Border Protection/Immigration and Customs Enforcement drops the people they have apprehended off at the Annunciation House shelters, these people cannot comfortably use their shoes because they do not have shoelaces. 

When I first began volunteering at Casa Papa Francisco, a shelter run by Annunciation House, I knew I would be asked to do many different tasks,  from unclogging toilets to searching for batteries for a toy for the kids at the shelter, but putting shoelaces back in shoes was not a task I was expecting to do many times with the guests. 

However, I began to see this moment as another opportunity for accompaniment. To take a moment to sit at someone’s feet and talk with them as I am putting shoelaces in their shoes; To use their names and get to know them; To offer a form of comfort and love during their hardships, It became another moment of giving people their dignity back after many days of being just a number. 

Suddenly, the meaning behind Jesus taking the time to wash the feet of the Apostles became clear to me. 

Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles partly to send a message to them about their worthiness. Through this act, he reminded them of their inherent human dignity as His followers,  that they are worthy of special acts such as this because they are children of God. In washing the feet of the Apostles, he also showed us how we should treat others, to do acts unto others that remind others of their inherent worthiness through God. 

This reflection has reminded me of how lucky I am that my time on mission has been filled with moments of seeing the people around me as children of God. The moments when I have the opportunity to “wash people’s feet”, like putting shoelaces back in shoes, are a wonderful reminder of what it means to be on mission and to be of service to others.

Question for Reflection: When did you last “wash someone’s feet”?