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Holy Thursday.

Holy Thursday.

I had a remarkable experience after attending an evangelical church for a long time, and then returning to the Catholic Church that I grew up attending. While I was evangelical, most of my time was spent serving other people. I experienced burn out quite often, so coming back to the Catholic Church and being served, took me a while to adjust to. One of the moments that stood out for me was Easter 2016, in fact it was Holy Thursday. Being away from the Catholic Church for so long, I had no recollection of the tradition we do on Holy Thursday. I was seated near the choir with my mom and dad, when all the priests took off their vestments and began to address us saying they were about to wash our feet. I got excited because I was used to being in a church where we served the leaders, but I was there just witnessing a huge sign of humility. The Priests were just about to serve us!

I began to prepare myself to walk down the isle of the church, which I did when it was my turn, and I anxiously waited in line in front of the baptismal font and father Rick. Father Rick is no longer at my parish as Catholic priests usually go from church to church, but he was a highly effective priest, and I admired his passionate way he gave a sermon. As he began to wash my feet, I remembered the verse in the bible that Jesus said before these verses; "When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:12-17 | NIV

The verse that I remembered was this one; "Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7 | NIV

When father Rick washed my feet, it produced in me a great feeling of thankfulness and relief and gratitude! I was happy that I could be served and not feel guilty about it. It made me think of all the hard spiritual work that I had been doing, and was now somehow justified. I felt welcomed back into the church, without kicking and screaming. I somehow knew what Jesus meant when he told his disciples to wash one another's feet. It wasn't just a tradition, it was an act of humility and service. God came to serve us, he came to wash our feet. He came to humbly care for us. This is Mike.

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