Posted by: frburke23 | April 17, 2011
John 12:1-11
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.
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We have begun the most holy of weeks. This is a time to reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. This week should look different than all other weeks for Christians.
In today’s Gospel, Mary knew who Jesus was. She was willing to anoint the feet of Jesus with the expensive oil. There was nothing too good for Jesus in her eyes. Yet Judas only saw her gesture as a waste of money.
Are we willing to give Jesus our best this week? We may not have expensive oil to lavish upon Him, but we do have another valuable asset – our time. Can you give Jesus an hour each day this week for prayer and reflection? Can you step away from the technology – TV, cell phones, internet, video games – and give the Lord your best? Maybe this week you give the Lord the first hour of the day to set the tone for the day…
If you have never attended the liturgies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, I really encourage you to do so. These three days make up one single liturgy. Thursday we celebrate the Last Supper and washing of the feet of the disciples. Friday we focus on the passion and death of Jesus. Saturday we celebrate the resurrection, and we welcome into the Church new members through Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
Don’t allow this week to just be another week. Make it special. Allow the Lord to work in your heart. You will never regret giving the Lord your most valuable asset – your time.
Have a blessed Holy Week,
Fr. Burke