Thousand Words: April 10

Somerset senior Jasey Beckman washes the feet of her boyfriend, Parker Wornall, a junior from Paris, Ky., during Holy Thursday mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on April 5

AbO'Bryan

Last week was Holy Week, the most sacred week in the Christian religious calendar. The week reflects on the belief that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross to forgive the sins of humanity.

“Holy Week is my favorite time of the year,” said Somerset senior Jasey Beckman, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Campus Center. “It really gets you in tune with what happened in the past.”

Throughout the week, Christians reenact key events of their faith that occurred over 2,000 years ago, which creates a sense of unity, while also allowing each person to have a more personal experience in their relationship with their God.

Owensboro sophomore Sam Knott, also a member of St. Thomas Aquinas, said, “Holy Week is a change of pace from regular life. It starts off with so much passion and sadness, and then turns around completely with such immense joy on Easter.”

The week starts with Palm Sunday, then continues with Holy Thursday, which is the day of the Last Supper when Jesus ate with his disciples for the last time before his death on Good Friday.

During the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his followers, an event that was reenacted at St. Thomas Aquinas during the Holy Thursday mass.

According to Knott, the washing of the feet at St. Thomas Aquinas is different than at other Catholic churches. At his home parish, only the priest washes the feet of church members, but at St. Thomas Aquinas, everyone in the church is able to wash the feet of others.

“It is so humbling to wash someone’s feet and for someone to wash your feet,” Knott said. “It makes you uncomfortable, but that’s what is so great about it. You can experience how the disciples felt when Jesus washed their feet.”

Beckman said the event is special to her because it happens at every Catholic church around the world. “We get to do what Jesus did, but it’s more than that — it makes you feel like you were there when it actually happened over 2,000 years ago.”