Missionaries' feet washed at Manila Cathedral in Maundy Thursday rites

Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Padillo on Holy Thursday led the washing of the feet rites during the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper at the Manila Cathedral.

In a Facebook post of the church, Pabillo washed the feet of Sr. Venus Marie Pegar, who is a member of Sisters of St. Francis Xavier, a religious congregation found in Myanmar.

During his homily, Pabillo said they stood with the people of Myanmar in "their struggle for democracy and peace."

Pabillo also washed the feet of Fr. Geoffrey Eborda, an Augustinian friar, Ruzzel Ramos,  catechist of the Catechetical Foundation of the Archdiocese of Manila, and Romain Garry Lazaro, a social media staff member of the Manila Cathedral.

The "new missionaries" who participated in the washing of the feet observed social distancing and followed minimum health protocols.

The washing of the feet is a Christian tradition during Maundy Thursday to recall Jesus Christ's washing of the feet of apostles.

Pabillo said Jesus' washing of the apostles' feet showed how Jesus wanted Christians to serve others.

“We are gifted by Jesus with his body and blood, let us also give to others by serving them and sharing with them,” Pabillo said.

Don't lose the desire to attend Mass

Pabillo also stressed the importance of attending Holy Mass because it showed that we "come in the presence of the sacrifice of Christ."

"It is the same the sacrifice of Christ in Calvary and on our altars. Kaya dahil sa pandemya nanonood na lang tayo sa misa. Pero dapat sa puso natin nandiyan yung desire, yung pananabik to participate physically in the mass," said Pabillo.

[Because of the pandemic, we are just watching online. But the desire should remain, the desire to participate physically in the mass.]

The bishop also said Christians must not lose the fire to attend physical Masses even as the online Mass is "a few pure substitute."

"At the moment, we are constrained to watch the online masses, but please do not lose the fire, the desire to be physically present when it is possible and to really receive the body of Christ into our own body," he said. --NB, GMA News