Touching the Feet of Jesus

 This holy week has been full of reflections, particularly regarding feet. On Monday, we heard in the Gospel reading about the sinful woman, Judas, Lazaurs and Jesus. It's Jesus' last dinner before his last supper, and he is dining and in the home of his dear friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus whom he raised from the dead. As it says in the Gospel of John 12:1-11, "Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." This is a beautiful image, the 'sinful woman' as she is called in this passage is filled with respect for Jesus, but also deep gratitude and love. She is also preparing for Jesus' burial by spilling the oil over his feet, a generous and loving gesture. This oil as I learned recently would have cost a years wages to purchase. 

I was recently reading and reflecting from a spiritual reading for women titled, 'I choose the Sky' by Emily Wilson. I came across this woman she depicted and wrote a reflection on. She is titled the sinful woman. The first words that Emily wrote about this woman in scripture is, "I want to be like her." I was moved and overcome, and reading further I understood why she addressed it that way. She goes further to write, "She shows how passionately we are to seek God in the throes of sin and brokenness , and I want to live like her- in this moment- when I experience sorrow and shame. I want my response to be to run to encounter God right where I know he is."  

Another refection that came to mind this week pertaining to feet is my dear God son and nephew Ignacio. As I have written in other posts, he had a heart condition and passed away 4 days after birth. In various moments I feel close to him, remembering him, and uniting my intentions and prayers to him. Every night before bed, I kiss and touch the footprints of this placard. I feel that it is also a symbol to walk in his footsteps and doing God's will, reminding me that I'm not alone.

Yesterday we observed and took part in  Holy Thursday and the The Last Supper. Going to the service of the Lords Supper last night was beautiful, moving, peaceful, and very reflective and somewhat solemn. Like every year, its the start of the holiest days of the year with the Triduum and preparation for Easter. With covid restrictions this year, only a few people were allowed to have their feet washed by the priest. And upon listening to the priest's reflection, he said how feet washing is a symbol to something greater- a symbol, a reminder of laying down ones life for another. To break away from our selfishness and self-centeredness and think and do for another what Christ has done. It's not about humility as much as it is about charity, generosity, and compassion. 

I remembered vividly in that moment of the washing of the feet, of the time I attended a Caritas retreat and the the ending of the retreat was a Mass and also washing if the feet. It was the first time I participated in that, having my feet washed with others praying around me, and washing others' feet. It was quite a moving, beautiful and emotional experience. 

Another quick image came to mind of a catholic speaker, writer and revert to the faith, Leah Darrow and her husband for their wedding instead of the garter, he washed her feet, as a symbol of laying down his life in the sacrament of their marriage. 

And today is Good Friday. A solemn, quiet, reflective, peaceful day to remember our Lord's cross and suffering, abandonment and misunderstandings as his wounds and sacred heart reveal to the world He is the savior of the world. And the foot of the cross is a powerful image, uniting all our worries, concerns, sins, failings to Jesus' cross. And looking upon there were Mary, Mary the wife of Clophas, Mary Magdalen and John the Apostle keeping Jesus company in his darkest hour.