According to the Gospel, Jesus performed a final act of service for his Disciples, following the Passover meal.

Arising
from the table, He tied a towel about His waist and filled a basin with water. Then, one after another He washed the
feet of each disciple, except Judas, who had already departed to betray Him.

When Peter protested that Jesus was about to wash his feet, Christ admonished, "Unless I wash you, you have no
part with me."

After washing the Disciples' feet, Jesus explained what He did and why. "You should wash one another's feet," He
told them. "I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater
than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be
blessed if you do them." (John 13:1-17)

The point Jesus was trying to make is already spelled out in the Scriptures, and needs little interpretation. We are to
serve our neighbors, even if it means we must do things we might not like to do. Even if the work is dirty or hard, or
even if we think it beneath us, we must still do our work. After all, Jesus Himself, the Son of God, washed the feet of
His disciples. And we are no greater than Jesus, so surely we too should do the same.

In church, the foot washing ceremony is an important call for all people that they too should be willing to serve others.
In the Catholic Church, this is called the Holy Thursday Mandatum, and the rite takes place after the homily.
Members of the congregation are chosen to sit and have their feet washed by the priest, who plays the role of Christ.
One by one, the priest will wash the participant's feet with a basin and a towel.

The Holy Week processions are a spectacle. Life-size images parade in beautiful

dresses carried by flower-decorated carrozas. But there is more to it than a display
of pasos (local term for the images) in well-lit floats.

Its purpose, according to Ateneo de Naga University Press director Father Wilmer Tria,
"is to remind us of the biblical characters during the public ministry of Jesus and of His
passion and death."

Hence, these pasos joining the processions: Jesus' entry to Jerusalem, His apostles, the
Stations of the Cross, His mother Mary, and the people that showed compassion during
His suffering.

Wednesday Procession

The procession during Holy Wednesday is simply Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross. Its purpose is to recall the journey of
Jesus Christ to Mount Calvary.

The traditional way of the cross begins with Jesus condemned to death, while the "New Way of the Cross" introduced by
Pope John Paul II begins with the Last Supper. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has approved
the latter, thus its adoption by parishes in the country.

Processions also play a significant role in Filipino celebrations throughout Holy Week, and can occur with

different variations on various days of the week.  In Malolos, Bulacan and in Rizal province, big
processions with statues of Jesus, Mother Mary, 12 Apostles, and many saints take place Holy Wednesday from

6 am until evening. Saint Augustine Church, Baliwag, Bulacan, is known for its Lenten procession on Holy

Wednesday and Holy Friday, which is believed to be the longest procession in the Philippines, with 111 richly

adorned floats of dioramas depicting the scenes of the Passion and death of Jesus Christ.

A Holy Week procession is a public ritual march of clergy and penitents which takes place
during Holy Week in countries which have a Catholic culture. Various images of the saints,
especially the Virgin Mary, and most importantly the image of the crucified Christ are carried aloft by
foot as a penance; acts of mortification are carried out; traditional hymns and chants are sung
(except during the silent processions of Good Friday). In many penitential orders, the faces of the
penitents are covered by elaborate hoods, such as the capirote, as a way of hiding one's identity in
order to not ostentatiously draw attention to oneself while performing penance. Crosses, and biers
holding Catholic holy images surrounded with flowers and offerings of candles, are carried usually
from one parish church to another led by the clergy, monastic orders, or heads of the penitential
orders.