Who will be watching online mass tomorrow whilst washing their feet in a basin?

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Tis_Bearself said:
Why would we do this? When I go to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, I generally don’t bring a basin and wash my feet in the middle of the liturgy, so I’m certainly not going to do it when I virtually attend the Mass.
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Exactly. And it’s supposed to emphasize the role of a priest as a servant. Washing my own feet in light of what the meaning of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples seems self-serving.
 
Why can it only be a priest that washes feet at the mass of the last supper? Can’t a lay person wash the feet of another also as act of humility and service too in the name of our Lord?
 
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Krisdun said:
Why can it only be a priest that washes feet at the mass of the last supper? Can’t a lay person wash the feet of another too as act of humility and service too in the name of our Lord?
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Yes, but you said you would be specifically doing this during the liturgy of Holy Thursday. You would be copying the priest’s actions during a liturgy where only the priest is allowed to do it. We are specifically not allowed to use gestures and actions that are reserved for the priest. Not only that, but you said it was your own feet and not that of another, which is not what you’re talking about here.

The priest washes the feet because it is the priest who acts In Persona Christi, which we lay people cannot do. It is a reminder of who the priest is and what he does.
 
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That said, as a private devotion, I don’t think it would be wrong for a father, as the priest of the domestic church, to wash the feet of his wife and kids… outside of liturgy.
 
I don’t mind if it’s done as a private devotion outside of liturgy. I object to it being done during the liturgy.
 
I suppose you could do it as a private devotion — you’re not attempting to simulate a sacrament — but it seems kind of pointless, as it is meant for the servant to show humility to his neighbor. How do you show humility to yourself?

There is a whole subset of Baptists called “Foot-Washing Baptists”, which is self-explanatory.

I think the thing to do this year, would be to watch the ceremony online, if you feel so moved, and to realize that there will be happier times, when we can all be in church together. Sometimes circumstances force us not to have fellowship when we’d rather have it, and the only thing we can do, is to live with that deprivation. Our Lord was alone on Holy Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane.
 
Sure, people can do what they want as a private devotion. But not during the Mass, rather outside of Mass as you said.
 
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The Church has already enough offerings for our situation without us having to step into basins.

Follow on TV or streaming, unite yourself with the rite being performed, and say Evening Prayer on those days, which is what the Church offers for those who do not attend the evening and afternoon services.
 
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Krisdun said:
Can’t a lay person wash the feet of another also as act of humility and service too in the name of our Lord?
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Sure as an act of piety outside of Mass (see 1 Tim. 5:10), but that’s not the significance of the rite in the Holy Thursday Mass, which has traditionally been focused on a leader or person of higher rank, serving those who are “lower” in particular the high clergy or religious (like abbots) serving the lower clergy or monks or the poor laity. Secular rulers often did it too for the same reason after the rite.

Here’s a good history on the rite.
http://www.unamsanctamcatholicam.com/liturgy/78-liturgy/525-mandatum-liturgical-history.html
 
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The Bishop or other clergy washes our feet, we do not wash our own. I will be attending the vigils and all the Easter related services online.

Let is start saying attending

rather then

watching.
 
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To all people out there saying it does not simulate humility and purpose of that is to do so, you are all correct.

Nevertheless, it was our Lord who washed feet of Apostles. When Peter told him to not wash his feet, what did our Lord tell him? Some people are in need for humility in a sense of washing others… some need to humble themselves and learn be washed. So many people forgot how to receive in current age. I will not do above practice myself, but I do understand that some will. It isn’t certainly nonsensical if you think about it.
 
OurLadyofSorrows said:
The Bishop or other clergy washes our feet, we do not wash our own. I will be attending the vigils and all the Easter related services online.

Let is start saying attending

rather then

watching.
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No. Uniting, maybe. Following along.

But we are not attending.

What I will be attending is my Evening Prayer on those days.
 
Fauken said:
We’re not actually at Mass when watching it online. It is not the same as being there in person, so I don’t see why I’d call it attending.
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Jbrady said:
You can’t attend a televised, recorded or live-streamed Mass. To attend, you have to be physically present.
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porthos11 said:
No. Uniting, maybe. Following along.

But we are not attending.

What I will be attending is my Evening Prayer on those days.
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Attend means to be present at.

We can , do and should attend spiritually.

We are attending as part of the Communion of saints. We are actively attending, engaging in prayer and in the responses and in Spiritual Communion when we tune into a tv or streaming Mass.
This is evident because when we attend a Papal live tv or streaming Mass we get the Papal blessing.
 
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