Photo creds: Miranda Cozzone
While on Ven a Ver last week, we attended three masses at three different churches. We went to Palm Sunday mass in Charleston, Holy Thursday mass in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Good Friday mass in Columbus, Ohio. I loved the Holy Thursday service. I’ve always loved Holy Thursday. When I go to church, I want to feel the Holy Spirit, and I have been affected by Holy Thursday my whole life. I love the washing of the feet and the reminder of the importance of humility. Having your feet washed is embarrassing though. Just the idea of it makes me nervous, and I almost talk myself out of getting my feet washed every time. But one of our students asked me to go up and have my feet washed with her. How could I say no? I chose to attend Ven a Ver to serve my students, my community after all. Lesly (Do you know Lesly? She is such outgoing and full of life, a pleasure to be around) and I approached the alter and had our feet washed. A couple more students followed. It was a beautiful experience. Later, we went to dinner in town and an older couple who saw us at church asked about our group. I invited them to dine with us and we talked about our trip and their lives in West Virginia. They too are educators, though retired. This couple shared how heartfelt it was that some of our students had their feet washed. It is really a very spiritual tradition, washing of the feet. |
