On Thursday of Holy Week, core members, assistants, and staff who were interested gathered at St. Joseph House to participate in what has become the traditional washing of the feet ritual. The ceremony, which hearkens back to Biblical times in the Middle East, where people wore sandals and thus their feet got dirty on the dusty paths. The practice was referenced in the Old Testament of the Bible where an honored person washed the feet of guests as a sign of humility. In the Gospel of John, the foot washing was depicted as taking place at the Last Supper. Jesus washed the feet of his apostles, as an example of service and humility for his followers, telling them that they wouldn’t understand what he was doing until later. The practice was continued in the early Church and was revived many centuries later by many Christian denominations.
The ritual epitomizes our work of humbly serving each other in the L’Arche community, whether we are core members, assistants, or staff members. It connects the current L’Arche community to spirituality and the early days of L’Arche Chicago with Sister Maria. It is a humbling, yet meaningful experience and one which bonds each participant to each other. The process begins with each person sitting in a circle. The leader, Keli, then washed the feet of the person on her left and received a blessing from them. The process continues until the circle is complete and everyone’s hands or feet are washed.
After the foot washing is finished, everyone adjourns to a large table where a simple meal of soup and bread is quietly shared. It is a wonderful ritual tradition which helps to build community, and we are all glad that it has continued until now and hope it continues for many years to come.
-Gary Dhein
