Mary kept the scent for burial

Ish 42:1-7, Jn 12:1-11. On this Monday of Holy week, we continue our journey with Jesus during His last days before His Hour of Glory. Today’s first reading presents us with “the Suffering Servant Songs of Yahweh” whom God is pleased with, as He ministered in a quiet, but powerful way. This Servant of God will tend to those who were bruised and broken and will establish justice. This Servant will bring about a new covenant relationship, opening the eyes of the blind, setting free those who are oppressed and living in darkness. For this reason, this Suffering Servant experienced hostility from His people, because this figure has a servant heart – one who seeks to be of service to those in need.

Most of the people Jesus encountered on that final journey were hostile to Him. Yet, according to today’s Gospel, six days before the feast of Passover during which Jesus was crucified, He experienced great kindness and hospitality from the family of Lazarus in Bethany. Not only was He the guest at the table of a family that He loved, one member of that family, Mary, went to great expense to render Him a thoughtful service. She anointed His feet with expensive perfume and dried them with her hair. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anticipated that servant-gesture of Jesus. She gave herself to Jesus in a loving service that corresponds to how Jesus gives Himself to us. Jesus interpreted her generous act as preparing Him for His death and burial. At the beginning of the last week of His life, our Lord welcomed this act of kindness from Mary of Bethany. What that woman did for Jesus we are called to do for each other. On our own life journey, we may meet people who make our journey more difficult. We will also experience people like Mary who support us on our journey and, hopefully, we can be for others what Mary was for Jesus, a kindly and generous presence in an often hostile world.

May the Lord help us to seek God’s most wonderful mercy and forgiveness, so that we may receive