I have not felt such freedom in my life since my birthday in August 2003. At least, not in my mouth. I have finally gotten my braces off! I will have to start wearing retainers in a week, though, so I must enjoy the freedom while it lasts. It is much nicer not having those metallic annoyances sticking out of your teeth.

It does feel a little weird, but a good, joyful kind of weird, and not quite as weird as I expected it to be. It certainly feels nice. I can move my tongue across the front of my teeth and feel no obstacles! Nothing is in the way! I can brush my teeth without sweeping the toothbrush across hurting metal– so much easier!

Like an experience never experienced before, I can feel my teeth and just my teeth. Even when I get retainers, it won’t be the same as braces. Whereas braces are a true prison, retainers will be a prison that allows you to take breaks.

Also, I didn’t post anything on Easter or yesterday, so hope everyone had a happy Easter!

Brightness - Hawaii, originally uploaded by TheMacro.

For a customary photo post, here’s a photo I took while I was in Hawaii in December. I was in a (moving) car on the way to the North Shore of Oahu. Tell me what you think!

On Tuesday, Reuben asked me whether or not I wanted my feet washed at the Holy Thursday mass by Father Pang. My initial reaction was a bit unsure, but, having already responded with an “I guess…”, I eventually became ready for it.

The washing of the feet takes place right after the priest gives his homily, before the general intercessions. I didn’t feel nervous, but I felt excited very calmly. It was a sort of “expecting” excitement. I had my right foot washed by Father Pang. Father Chen did the washing of the feet last year, but since then he has retired.

Now, Father Pang is a fairly prominent priest. He has already been the pastor of other Chinese parishes and was previously working at the Vatican prior to his stay at our church. He still travels a lot. It is somewhat awkward for someone so known as him to be washing my foot, or to be even at my feet. But he washed my foot both carefully and well.

The washing of the feet is a tradition that is done in remembrance of what Jesus did at the Last Supper, which Holy Thursday celebrates, starting the Easter Triduum. Jesus washed the very dirty feet of his twelve apostles. Initially Peter refused to have his feet washed by Jesus, their rabbi. But He is a servant– he is the suffering servant, the Messiah, that Isaiah had prophesied about, hundreds of years prior to his birth. At the same time, He is also the Ruler of all things, the Creator and Master of all things. And yet he washed his followers’ feet. They were very dirty feet. I assume he washed them well, also.

Jesus performed an extremely humbling act, as did Father Pang, although not quite as humbling, because Father Pang is not the Master of the universe– but nonetheless, it is still humbling. When I had my foot washed, I did not feel greater than Father Pang nor the others who had their feet washed with me. It is a great act of kindness on the part of the person who washes peoples’ feet, and it is a symbol to us, reminding us that we should serve others, forgetting all differences in who they might be. It was an expirence. As Jesus washed the feet of the apostles and as Father Pang washed our feet, so should we also humble ourselves and serve others.

Today is Good Friday. You may have a day off, but remember who and what the day commemorates.