Washing of feet

Washing of feet by Jesus is described at John 13:1-17 , although it echoes a woman washing his feet as described at Luke 7:36-50 . It is part of the annual ceremonies in honor of the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. Notably, it is the opposite of the Jewish practice of hand-washing before meals.

Mark may not have been present at the Last Supper, and thus omits this. Matthew and Luke relied on the Gospel of Mark, and Luke also incorporated information from other eyewitnesses not present at the Last Supper, and thus this Washing of feet is understandably not in the synoptic Gospels.

Matthew may have omitted this from his Gospel of Matthew because it might not have helped expand early Christianity, as it would be unimaginable to many then that the Son of God would perform such a humiliating task of washing the grimy feet of ordinary men of that time. Today the Roman Catholic Church omits this readings from all of its Masses except on Holy Thursday.

An explanation of the annual commemoration of this explains that it should not be replaced with unauthentic substitutes.