The closeness and the smell of death is overcome by the perfume of humility, profound thanksgiving, service and love.
Today we begin Holy Week reflecting on the actions of Mary – not Mary the mother of Jesus nor Mary Magdalena. This is Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. This is Mary of action and conviction who “broke out” of the kitchen and “invaded” the men’s front room in her house to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen attentively to the Words of Jesus. She received Jesus’ approval and support for that action. He said it was an action and attitude that no one could deny her. This is Mary of deep faith and trust who waited at home after her brother Lazarus’s death while Martha full of grief ran out to complain to Jesus when he finally arrived – three days late with Lazarus now dead. This is Mary who when Jesus called her that day, ran to take him to Lazarus’s tomb and witnessed the action of the author of life over death.
Today, six days before Jesus’ last Passover celebration, the Last Supper, on the day when each family was choosing the lamb from their flocks that would be sacrificed for the Passover meal, this same Mary, full of a truly profound sense of thanksgiving for all that she has experienced, prepared a feast in her home for Jesus and greeted him there. It was customary in those days to offer guests the opportunity to wash their feet and hands as they arrived at a home. Today Mary’s deep sense of faith and profound thanksgiving leads her to wash Jesus’ feet herself. She opens a jug of nard, perfumed oil, to use rather than a pitcher of simple water. She dries his feet with her own hair. Nothing can measure the depth and value of Mary’s love and thanksgiving.
The fragrance of the perfume immediately permeates the whole house. The apostles, disciples and all the dinner guests are shocked and speechless by such an act of sacrifice, humility and love. Mary knew, just as Job proclaimed and the Catholic community sings during the committal of a deceased friend:
I know that my Redeemer lives,
and in my flesh, I shall see God,
I shall see him face to face,
and my own eyes shall behold my Savior
Through the many events of her life, Mary knew that Jesus was her Savior and in profound thanksgiving gave all back to him right there that day.
Only Judas missed what happened that day due to his calculating nature and preoccupation with money. The yoke of sin – bondage to death.
So today we begin Holy Week with Mary’s proclamation of faith and thanksgiving that the evangelist John wrote for us to see, remember and experience. The closeness and the smell of death is overcome by the perfume of humility, profound thanksgiving, service and love. Let us renew ourselves this week before the Easter Vigil by making Mary’s profound thanksgiving and faith our own. Let us repeat and proclaim in our families the stories of Jesus’ presence in our own lives.
more info: http://www.pastors1stlady.co.uk/an-act-of-worship-mary-anointing-jesuss-feet/