Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
As an Indian, I am accustomed to leave my footwear at the door and change into home footwear or in some houses , walk barefoot! While I never grasped the concept except for the fact that mom would never let dirt and dust off my shoes into the house… for hygiene purposes, I realised many of my non catholic or Hinduism practising friends had an idol or temple of sorts in the house, mostly on a pedestal off the floor and would not appreciate footwear around and considered it an insult similar to temples, the reason as what my 7 year old friend told me then was to not bring impurities to the temple!( they also have to compulsorily bathe). There are some churches of Syrian Malabar Catholic rites which forbid footwear in churches and is a trend in south of India amongst catholics too!
No one likes dusty feet or footwear, in a church or home! It is considered as a sign of poor hygiene and often I am guilty of checking footwear and feet as I judge a person! There have been numerous occasions in life where we have our feet deep in “dirt”, personal, spiritual or emotional… we walk around leaving those muddy footprints as testimony of our dirtiness! And while someone else comes by and cleans up, there are more than one occasions when the dirt is hard to remove!
So as Jesus instructed His disciples, and on Maundy Thursday washes those same dirty feet…. let us clean our feet and wash them for a not just better hygiene but a clean step into the future and a life dedicated to Jesus. As David instructs his Son, Solomon, to follow the Lord for hope that the lineage is set for Jesus to be born to take his throne! We as modern day catholics should commit ourselves to believe and make a better church , of people who wash their feet and worship His ordinances with faith and belief to reach the goal of Heaven.
PRAYER
To you oh Lord, I lay my troubles and sinfulness Oh Lord, Bless me and help me to learn to follow your light, one footstep at a time!
AMEN
