‘Jesus became a servant and asks us to follow His example’
LENOIR — Following a tradition started by Our Lord Jesus Christ, Father Stephen Hoyt, pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Lenoir, assisted by deacons Stephen Picket and Dario Garcia, coordinator of the Hickory Vicariate Hispanic Ministry, washed the feet of twelve faithful during the celebration of the liturgy of the Last Supper, on Thursday, April 6, beginning the Paschal Triduum.
More than 100 members of the faithful attended the bilingual Mass. Entire families, even with small children, came to pray during the solemn Mass, remembering the Last Supper with the 12 apostles when Jesus washed their feet in a sign of great humility.
In his homily, Father Hoyt recalled passages from his priestly life and recalled the Chrism Mass, celebrated by Bishop Peter Jugis last Tuesday in Charlotte.
After explaining to the faithful the profound meaning of renewing priestly promises and fidelity to their bishop, Father Hoyt said that it is just as challenging for priests to overcome temptations and distractions in their own lives, as much as everyone else. For this, he pointed out, "We need to remain in the company of Christ."
In turn, Deacon Garcia explained that the washing of the feet of the apostles must be understood in its "full historical significance."
“The Hebrew tradition was that, when the masters arrived from the street, what the servants did was bring the water, kneel down, remove their sandals and wash their feet to purify them,” Deacon Garcia said. “They understood that in the street they were contaminated, not only from dust but from people. What Jesus does is convert that law, to show that they were clean, although not spiritually. He proclaimed that true cleanliness is when we become a servant to others, proclaiming love for our neighbor.”
He then added that with Holy Thursday, Lent ends and the Paschal Triduum begins.
On this special date, he said, Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharist, established the priestly order and decreed, through the washing of the feet, the commandment of love and service for one's neighbor.
“Jesus became a servant, even as Master and Lord of the Universe. And He commands us to follow His example and be servants to our neighbor.”
At the end of the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was removed from the tabernacle and placed in an altar of repose outside of the sanctuary. Christ will not return to the altar until Easter.
— Cesar Hurtado
