Holy Monday
John 12:8
“You
always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
We give gifts to friends and our loved
ones. And most of the time, we give
gifts that are “expensive”, meaning gifts that come from our hearts. Gifts that we know will make them happy.
Gifts that signifies true love and
friendship. And it is this friendship
that really matters most, and the money we spent is nothing compared to the
love we have shown.
Mary ‘wasted’ an expensive perfume, as Judas
has thought. She should have just sold
the perfume and gave the money to the poor.
Judas has a point there.
But he has another agenda. What he speaks is not what is in his heart –
“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”.
Jesus knows this. But instead of humiliating Judas in front of
His disciples, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, He just dismissed him and advised him
to just leave Mary alone. Being friends
of Jesus, Mary and her siblings has shown true faith in the Lord. But this time, Mary’s gesture is geared
towards bringing back the friendship that the Lord has shown to them.
The expensive perfume is nothing compared
to the love that Jesus has given them.
Lazarus is alive because of their faith in Him. Jesus acknowledged this and received her
extraordinary gesture of love with gratitude.
Be a friend to the Lord. Only then can your sacrifice be worthy to
Him.
Let us pray +
Lord Jesus, today, we remember the great
gift of gratitude, given courageously, by Mary when she anointed our Lord with
the costly oil whose perfume filled the house. May the perfume of her deed fill
our hearts with praise. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
+
Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
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