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Maundy Thursday: 5 Things You Should Know

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Twitter

Foot washing, Imitating Jesus Washing the Feet of the Disciples

Maundy Thursday services include foot washing, a practice that was more of a regular occurrence in the ancient near East than in modern West.

Pope Francis kisses the foot of a refugee during the foot washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016.
Pope Francis kisses the foot of a refugee during the foot washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees center near Rome, Italy, March 24, 2016. | (Photo: Osservatore Romano / Reuters )

Nevertheless, many Christians continue to participate in foot washing during Maundy Thursday services. In some churches the priest does it, while in others congregants wash each other's feet. 

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby noted on Twitter Thursday that washing their feet was Jesus' last act to the disciples. In so doing he "taught them to give up self-reliance and accept the gifts that others have to offer."

"Peter is reluctant, just as many of us might be," Welby added. "But see if you can pray today for the gift of that vulnerability."

Follow Brandon Showalter on Facebook: BrandonMarkShowalter Follow Brandon Showalter on Twitter: @BrandonMShow

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