Monday of Holy
Week
(Isaiah 42:1-7; John 12:1-11)
In Luke’s gospel Mary sits as Jesus’ feet when he comes
to her and Martha’s home. She listens to
him teach. In today’s passage from
John’s gospel Mary is again at Jesus’ feet in her home. But her role has changed. She now anoints Jesus for burial. Martha in both gospel scenes busies herself
with service, and Mary in both chooses “the better part.”
Mary has the prophetic insight of realizing that Jesus
will be dead soon. Because she also knows
that he is the royal Messiah or “anointed one,” she gives him a lavish
anointing. The narrator says that the
fragrance from the oil filled the whole house.
The image might be expanded to say that the fragrance filled the
universe. The death Jesus is about to undergo
will redeem humanity for all its sins.
We too might anoint Jesus in a sense. We can spare some time daily this week to
meditate on the meaning for ourselves of Jesus death and resurrection. Through these events we know the Son of
God. By these events we are freed from
the guilt of our malicious acts. Because
of these events we like Jesus are destined to glory.
