Reading 1
Is 42:1-7
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
Upon whom I have put my Spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
Not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
Until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spreads out the earth with its crops,
Who gives breath to its people
and spirit to those who walk on it:
I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
To open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.
Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Gospel
Jn 12:1-11
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”
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.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.
Meditation: John 12:1-11
“The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” (John 12:3)
Imagine if you were in a serious dating relationship, and you wanted to buy a gift for that special someone. You wouldn’t just go pick out the first thing you saw in the local discount store. You’d take your time to find just the right thing. And when you gave your gift, you wouldn’t simply drop it off with a casual note. You’d deliver it in person, and you’d let them know just how important they were.
All of these actions are similar to what Mary does in today’s Gospel. Her gift of spikenard reveals the extravagant devotion of a lover. It’s extravagant not only for how much it costs—an entire year’s wages—but for how she gives it. If she were only anointing Jesus for burial, she would cover his head with the ointment. But in an act of adoration and worship, she anoints his feet instead. By this, she is saying: “I love you, Jesus, for all that you have done and for what you are about to do for me.”
Jesus might expect the same level of devotion from Judas. He was, after all, one of only twelve men picked from all Israel. Judas had been with Jesus for three whole years, hearing him preach and watching him perform miracles. But somehow Judas lost his devotion. He became so selfish that he could no longer give Jesus anything—least of all his heart. Judas was interested only in what he could get. He was even ready to betray Jesus for a pile of silver coins!
As you pray this week, keep the image of Mary in mind. And ask the Holy Spirit to give you a deeper sense of worship. Meditate on all he has blessed you with. Ponder his incomparable work of redemption on the cross. Lay aside any anxieties about the future or bitter regrets about the past. Just remember that he loves you today. Let these truths penetrate your heart so that praise and thanksgiving well up from inside you. And know that any humble, grateful prayer you offer is like sweet-smelling incense to him!
“Lord, how can I thank you for redeeming me from sin and for the new life you have given me? I can never thank you enough!”
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