I'd Like Opinions Here About This Washing Of The Feet

[lukewarm]

Yea, and what you said was normal…

What is wrong with what I said?

The topic is is it appropriate to wash the feet of women, if you’ve ever studied pschology you would know that womens feet are a sexual fetish for such a large population of men it shouldn’t even be classified a fetish anymore. I’m showing basic psychological understandings of a lot of men’s mind and womens feet. Both pertain to the topic at hand right on point. Since such a large population of men can see womens feet as sexual having men wash them seems innapropriate. Did you laugh in science class when the words for male and female genitalia were used too? Grow up a little bit.

What you said was a personal request about my sexual appetites which is disgusting and invasive.

 

[Righteousone]

What is wrong with what I said?

The topic is is it appropriate to wash the feet of women, if you’ve ever studied pschology you would know that womens feet are a sexual fetish for such a large population of men it shouldn’t even be classified a fetish anymore. I’m showing basic psychological understandings of a lot of men’s mind and womens feet. Both pertain to the topic at hand right on point. Since such a large population of men can see womens feet as sexual having men wash them seems innapropriate. Did you laugh in science class when the words for male and female genitalia were used too? Grow up a little bit.

What you said was a personal request about my sexual appetites which is disgusting and invasive.

Lukewarm you need to relax. It was a joke. No, come to think of it I never thought women’s feet could be a fetish to a priest. I didn’t have sex education in school back then…I’ll grow up if you smarten up.

 

[MHalsey]

My opinion is, when done as it is done in my parish, it can be done reverently and I like it. My pastor asks 12 men, women, and children who were new to the parish during the past year to take part. However, since the GIRM calls for it to be done to men, we should do as directed.

This is a visual representation of what Jesus did at the last supper to show the apostles that they were to serve others as Jesus was serving them. It had nothing to do with washing dust of unbelieving towns off their feet.

If it’s stated in the GIRM, then that’s the way it should be, but I know of some parishes where this is not the case.

As for a priest washing a woman’s feet, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. But again, if it’s in the GIRM, then so be it.

A couple of years ago our parish set it up so that each person would wash one foot (for brevity) of the person in front of them. Now that was strange.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

If it’s stated in the GIRM, then that’s the way it should be, but I know of some parishes where this is not the case.

As for a priest washing a woman’s feet, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. But again, if it’s in the GIRM, then so be it.

A couple of years ago our parish set it up so that each person would wash one foot (for brevity) of the person in front of them. Now that was strange.

Talk about strange, several years ago I was in Virginia Beach during holy week so I went to the Holy Thursday mass in a parish there. At the washing of feet, anyone who wished was invited to stick a bare foot into the aisle and the priest or one of the deacons or servers would wash it. Also, some bowls of water were brought so we could wash each other’s hands if we wanted to (I didn’t).

 

[Cathlacostal]

In some evangelical Churches that practice footwashing, the women wash each others feet and the men wash the mens. That would be perfection if it meant a bit more than humility to them. It’s also very biblical as it’s the duty of the older women to teach the young women.

 

[bengal_fan]

just asking a question here. i am not being antagonistic…

where does it say that Jesus only washed men’s feet? the episode is in the book of John and it says Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. we know He had women disciples and it would not have been out of the norm for women to have been present at the meal (maybe Peter’s wife was there or Jesus’ mother). how do we know that it was only the 12 that Jesus did this service to?

 

[FaithofAbraham]

just asking a question here. i am not being antagonistic…

where does it say that Jesus only washed men’s feet? the episode is in the book of John and it says Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. we know He had women disciples and it would not have been out of the norm for women to have been present at the meal (maybe Peter’s wife was there or Jesus’ mother). how do we know that it was only the 12 that Jesus did this service to?

Since the real message is that you need to be good servants to each other by constantly watching out for lack of faith among your brothers and sisters, and uplifting them when they become doubtful to avoid having a Judas among you…

Then if you must recreate the actual footwashing as part of THIS message – I think it is silly but oh well – there should be nothing wrong with a man symbolically pouring a little cup of water over a woman’s foot. It’s not like he has to give her a pedicure or massage lingering over her feet or something. He doesn’t even need to touch them.

 

[Righteousone]

just asking a question here. i am not being antagonistic…

where does it say that Jesus only washed men’s feet? the episode is in the book of John and it says Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. we know He had women disciples and it would not have been out of the norm for women to have been present at the meal (maybe Peter’s wife was there or Jesus’ mother). how do we know that it was only the 12 that Jesus did this service to?

Because if you’ve been living under a rock for the last 2,000 years, the apostles were 12 men. There are paintings since the beginning of time about this and there is Scripture that the 12 were men.
Peter
Phillip
Bartholomew
Matthew
James
James (the less)
John
Judas
Andrew
Thomas
Thaddeus
Simon

 

[MHalsey]

Because if you’ve been living under a rock for the last 2,000 years, the apostles were 12 men. There are paintings since the beginning of time about this and there is Scripture that the 12 were men.
Peter
Phillip
Bartholomew
Matthew
James
James (the less)
John
Judas
Andrew
Thomas
Thaddeus
Simon

However, in the Gospel of John, it says he washes the feet of the disciples.

John 13:5
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.

We all know there were only 12 apostles, but many more disciples. So by reading this passage in John, it can lead to some thinking he washed the feet of more than just the 12.

To find the truth, though, all we need to do is go to Matthew where it says:

(Matthew 26:20)
When it was evening, He reclined at table with the Twelve.

Aside from all this though, does it really matter? Is the washing of feet a symbolic act or is it a liturgical act? Is it, as someone mentioned, stated in the GIRM on how it must be done, or is it left up to the local parish or diocese to decide how to perform the washing of the feet? And if it’s done in a way not specified, does that invalidate the washing or make the mass invalid? My guess is probably not.