You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. (John 12:8)
Why would Jesus say this? Did he really want his followers to ignore the poor? Of course not! He knew that Judas wasn’t really concerned about the needy—he was hoarding the money for himself. No, Jesus wanted to make sure that they didn’t miss out on the short time they had left with him.
As we begin Holy Week, Jesus is saying something similar to us. In a special way, we “have” Jesus all week long. He knows that we will face lots of competing needs, distractions, and tasks. In a sense, these are the “poor” that we may be tempted to use as an excuse for why we shouldn’t pour ourselves out on the Lord this week, just as Mary anointed Jesus’ feet.
So resolve to spend time with him every day this week. Start your day in prayer. Try to get to Mass. Spend half an hour each day reading one of the passion narratives in the Bible. Seek out opportunities to help the real poor in your community—one of the best ways to meet Jesus face to face. Your duties will still be there when you return to them.
Don’t be afraid to rearrange your priorities for just these few days. You may need to put off an activity until later or give less time to your daily chores. Who knows? You may even discover a more efficient way to get it all done!
That gathering at Bethany may well have been the last time that Mary and Martha and Lazarus saw Jesus before his passion and death. Thanks to Mary’s act of worship and love, the meal took on a new and beautiful meaning. Her devotion to Jesus transformed the event into something that is still recalled two millennia later. God promises that if you pour yourself out on the Lord this week, you too can change the atmosphere in your home. So don’t worry about the distractions right now. They’ll be waiting for you next week. Just spend time with the Lord.
“Jesus, help me to place you first this week. May I not get so busy with other things that I miss out on all that you have for me this Holy Week!”
Isaiah 42:1-7; Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14