pedilavium

Example Sentences

• "Part of the church service on Maundy Thursday is the pedilavium."
• "It is evident […] that the day [Maundy Thursday] was observed, as early as the fifth century, by the solemn celebration of the Lord's supper connected with the ceremony of the washing of feet (pedilavium). Augustin speaks of the celebration of the Lord's supper as being the more ancient and general custom, and of the pedilavium as of later introduction and more partial observance."
• "Lovefeasts and choir-days were celebrated as covenant festivals, for which all were prepared by being reminded of the covenant of love to Christ and his people, in the speakings, pedilaviums, prostration meetings, and choir homilies (Biertel-Stunden), nor omitting the especial occasions for partaking of the cup of covenant."
• "Sweeping was like the pedilavium, a purification of the floor of the house and the feet of the believer, contaminated by the insidious flow of a dissipating humanity. In the pedilavium, the feet were washed in the 'bloody Gore' from Christ's Body, and dried by his 'besweated Hair' (FCD [Fulneck Congregation Diaries] 6 August 1755), in an act of purification before the taking of the Lord's Supper."
• "On Holy Thursday, Alessandro [de' Medici, Duke of Florence] imitated the innovation of his predecessor, Archbishop Altoviti, who had significantly modified the traditional ritual of the pedilavium acted out in the cathedral. Instead of having canons play the roles of the apostles, Altoviti washed the feet of 12 poveri, and then gave them clothing, bread, and two lire each. Alessandro followed Altoviti's example closely."
• "[R]itual practices are not at all limited to demarcated ones, and, in fact, demarcatedness is a matter of degree rather than an absolute value[…]. While we can only speculate about how the scene happened, it is possible that Judas Iscariot's rant took place as Mary was still wiping Jesus' feet with her hair – and, if that was the situation, it is well likely that this was a somewhat ad hoc ritual performance, which was not expected to take place by some, and which was not clearly demarked at that time. […] One could play with the hypothesis that Mary made use of something that was more dynamic and ad hoc at that time than the pedilavia of our day, and so that section of the Bible provides a glimpse into a ritual practice being only at a certain stage of becoming demarcated."