LENT PRAYER MATERIAL 2016
L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL – ENCOUNTERS OF FORGIVENESS
HOLY WEEK
Week 7
20 - 26 March
Encountering Humility – The Washing of the Feet
(Prepared by Mark Beattie & Hilary Wilson, L’Arche Liverpool, UK)
“The Washing of the Feet”
By Sieger Koder
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BIBLE READING
John 13: 1 - 17
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this
world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during
supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come
from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel
around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to
wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely
clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason
he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them,
“Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that
is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very
truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one
who sent them.
If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
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REFLECTION by Ruth Patterson
On the night before his death, prior to sharing the Passover meal together, Jesus gets up from the
table, takes off his outer robe, wraps a towel around his waist, takes a basin of water and begins to
wash the disciples’ feet.
Having read this encounter as told by John, you might like to consider the following:
 The disciples are stunned. This job belongs to the lowest slave. Peter voices what the others
are thinking, his initial reaction being to refuse. Jesus responds in what seems to be a harsh
way. Peter thought he understood, but perhaps in this moment realises that he has hardly
even started. He would much rather have been doing things for Jesus than receive this act of
love and service from him.
 Most givers find it difficult to receive. When we’re giving we can usually remain in control of
the situation. We don’t have to be vulnerable or show any sign of weakness. But when we
receive, we are in essence saying that we haven’t got it all together, that we have needs and
fragilities, that in ourselves we are not whole and complete and that we do actually need
what the other person is offering.
 It is rather strange, if this action demonstrates “the full extent of Jesus’ love” for humankind,
that we have pushed it to the edges and only perform a sanitized version of it once a year on
Holy Thursday.
 This washing of the feet is a powerful icon for the disciples. It is Jesus showing them a new
model of leadership. He chooses to exercise his leadership through the power of love and to
become vulnerable before them. He invites them to act towards one another in a similar
manner. “Do this and you will be blessed.” This is one of the hidden beatitudes in the
Gospels.
 Christian leadership is modelled for us by the Servant King who willingly becomes lower
than everybody else in order that he might raise them up into an awareness of who they
really are – beloved daughters and sons of God. It is a journey, and the road we travel has a
name – the path of blessing.
 Humility is the unexpected gift of forgiveness.
REFLECTION
Our feet are funny things!
Sometimes they’re smelly, they can get sore and as we get older they get lumps and bumps. They can
be ticklish – and we don’t always like other people touching them. We often cover them up.
(What do you think about your feet?)
But this week on the Thursday before Easter we gather to do a strange thing. One by one we wash each
other’s feet. We let someone touch, wash, care for our feet!
A part of ourselves that we might hide or don’t think is beautiful is touched, gently cared for.
Jesus asks us to do this – to care for one another, to love, to forgive, to heal, to welcome one another.
Many years ago, when L’Arche Liverpool was a young community, as we prayed in the week when we
remember the death of Jesus, we shared a meal together like Jesus and his friends did. But then we
found it so hard to go to different, separate churches for the liturgy of the Eucharist, the Mass. At the last
meal with his disciples before he died Jesus gave his friends the bread and wine. And he washed their
feet. We heard what Jesus did with his disciples, and what he asks us to do. So since we could not
receive the bread and wine together that evening Sue, the community leader, had the idea that we too
could wash each other’s feet.
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We still wash each other’s feet here in Liverpool – and now nearly every L’Arche community does that
too, and not just every year in Holy Week, but at special moments together or during retreats.
Yes it does seem a strange thing to do! (and remember that Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet at
first). As we wash each other’s feet we discover more clearly who we are. Not a group where the strong
care for the weak, but a community where we each need and welcome one another, a place where we
forgive and can be forgiven, and where we discover that we are loved as we are.
One year in our community an assistant had lost her patience with Rob and got into trouble; we were all
upset and she knew she was wrong. Next day our little house group was together in a circle at the
community celebration of the washing of feet. Rob, a small man who did everything slowly and
deliberately, wanted to wash the feet of that assistant, and as he did we all felt the wonder and joy and
reality of forgiveness.
In our world of divisions and distrust, attacks and fear and people fleeing, we know that every small
meeting, every moment when a stranger is welcomed, that trust is offered or forgiveness received, each
of these moments heals and builds hope, not just for ourselves or for our community, but for our world.
“Having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus loved them to the end.”
ACTIVITY
Prepare bowls, jugs, water and towels and wash one another’s feet as part of prayer together.
PRAYERS – a suggested format:
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Say the Our Father together
Read John 13: 1 - 17
Have a time of silence
Take time to reflect on any of the material offered above and then wash one another’s feet.
Prayer: (This is the same prayer every week except for the second line. Maybe you could learn to
sign it. One person could say and sign each line, and then everyone else repeat with the same
signing).
Jesus, help us to see others as you see them – with love and compassion.
Help us to love one another as you love us.
Help us to be able to welcome those who are different from us, those we find it
difficult to like.
And thank you that you love us, just as we are, today and every day.
Amen.
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The L’Arche Prayer
Appropriate songs if wished.
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International training session in India 2013, Kolkata
Béatrice Gizard and Bapi
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