Holy Thursday – What is special about Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles?

Tomorrow is Holy Thursday. Lent ends with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and signals the sacred paschal Triduum.

Only in John’s Gospel does Jesus get up from the table, take off his outer robe, tie a towel around his waist and pour water into a basin, and “wash the disciples’ feet”, drying them with the towel.

In the ancient world, instead of welcome mats at the front door, most people kept a pitcher, basin, and towels for guests to wash their feet. Normal hospitality dictated that a slave or disciple wash the feet of others. But, when Jesus takes the basin and towel and washes the feet of his disciples, he acts as if he is the slave or disciple.

If washing feet in Jesus’ world is a sign of hospitality, what does it mean to wash feet today? Since there is no Last Supper in John’s Gospel, washing feet is Eucharist in action. It is another way of saying: “This is my body that is for you,” and, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in memory of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). In short, we give away ourselves-body and blood like Jesus-to others.

The Johannine Jesus states it this way: “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn 13:15).