LORD, DO YOU WASH MY FEET?

"Lord, Do You Wash My Feet?" by A. C. Okonkwo is written expressly for the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. It captures the profound humility of the Mandatum, the moment the priest washes the feet of the parishioners. The introduction sets the scene in the Upper Room, narrating how Jesus poured water into a basin to serve His friends.

The refrain brings us right into the dialogue between Christ and a bewildered Simon Peter. When the choir sings "My Lord, do you wash my feet?", it echoes the shock we all feel at the King of Kings taking on the role of a servant. Jesus's firm reply—that we can have no part with Him unless we allow Him to wash us—anchors the piece in deep reverence.

The verses are set as a free rhythm chant, allowing the cantor or choir to deliver the words with natural, speech-like pacing. Moving from Peter's initial resistance to Christ's new commandment of love, the song guides the congregation through the true meaning of the Holy Thursday liturgy: that we are called to love and serve one another just as He did.