Footprints in the … stone?
Footprints in the … stone?
One of the most famous Christian poems in the United States has a background that is nearly as intricate as the affection it receives. The poem “Footprints” recounts the tale of a spirit sensing forsakenness by the Divine. Previously having journeyed closely with Jesus, in the poem, the main character expresses sorrow over the tough periods in existence when there was merely one pair of footprints left in the sand. The storyteller grieves the reality that he had to travel solo during those challenging times.
However, as anyone familiar with the poem understands, the significant revelation occurs when the narrator discovers that he has not actually been alone during those challenging times. Jesus shares with the soul, “In your periods of hardship and pain, when you notice only one pair of footprints, it was at that moment that I carried you.”
I argue that the poem’s background is intricate due to its contested authorship. Indeed, numerous writers have asserted their ownership of it. Moreover, various adaptations of comparable themes published in numerous newspapers and magazines indicate that the motif was a favored topic that motivated both poets and speakers.
In 1979, it was published in The Liguorian, the monthly magazine of the Redemptorists. Paul Harvey has mentioned it on his radio program, and advice columnists “Dear Abby” and Erma Brombeck have alluded to the poem. Even President Ronald Reagan cited the poem in his 1981 speech at the National Prayer Breakfast.
However, the footprints of Jesus in the sand are not the oldest traces honored in the Catholic tradition. As I mentioned, the poem appears to have originated in the 20th century, drawing inspiration from a range of sermons and stories.
What footprints do I wish to discuss? They are none other than the footprints of Christ found on the Mount of Olives at the Ascension.
Indeed, you interpreted that correctly. A time-honored and respected custom asserts that when Christ rose to heaven, his final steps on earth were immortalized in stone. As far back as the fourth century, Christians identified specific locations for prayer on the sacred mountain, commemorating this concluding event of Christ’s terrestrial existence.
In some respects, the tracks indicate something truly extraordinary. On the feast of the Ascension, we see announced in the Scriptures the words of an angel who questioned the disciples, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand there gazing up at the sky” (Acts 1:11). What is the final sight that the disciples would have observed as Jesus rose into heaven? His feet!
The feet of Christ represented the essence of the Gospel’s life. The Lord journeyed from village to village on those feet, carrying the message of salvation. As the prophet Isaiah states, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of the one announcing good news” (Is 52:7).
Those were the soles that Mary washed with her tears and dried them with her hair inside the home in Bethany. She applied costly oil to the savior’s feet, foreshadowing his demise.
Christ cleansed the feet of his disciples as an act of modest service and commissioning. He equipped them to be proclaimers of the Gospel in this grave and holy occasion. And when he faced crucifixion, the Lord’s feet were punctured with nails during the brutal event of his execution.
However, the disciples witnessed the resurrected feet last on that crucial day. They beheld the altered nail marks, a definitive affirmation that, truly, Christ had triumphed over sin and death, and had paved the path to heaven for us.
Thus, those final footprints are truly invaluable. They serve as a last tribute — not to our own life’s journey but to the route that Christ walked for our salvation.
