106. Monday of Holy Week

Meditations no. 152 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

The generosity of Mary at Bethany.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper. Jesus was among friends, in a household where he was surrounded with affection. The Lord had often stayed in Bethany. This time, however, the occasion was more solemn. He was on his way towards Jerusalem and the Cross, and Lazarus and his family wished to show their love for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

It was common knowledge that the Jews were hunting Jesus down, and Mary’s love helped her to foresee the events that were soon to take place. She may have sensed that she would not have another opportunity to do anything for her Lord, and she decided generously on her course. She took the most valuable thing she had, costly ointment of pure nard, and unhesitatingly poured it out over him. She even broke the jar so that nothing remained; it was all for her God - and even so, she thought it very little.

But there were some who said to themselves indignantly, Why was the ointment thus wasted? Judas Iscariot declared his disapproval: Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? St John notes that he said this, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.

Mary kept quiet. She did not care about the comments and criticisms her behaviour produced: it was enough for her to see Jesus happy. And Jesus came out in her defence: Let her alone. She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you…

Mary’s attitude has forever remained as a gentle invitation to be generously faithful to the Lord, giving him absolutely everything. Whatever we do will always be very little to repay his love, since he gave himself up to death, and death on the Cross, for the sake of each one of us.

We should be the “aroma of Christ”, through our generous self-giving in God’s service.

Her house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment, comments St Augustine, and the world is also filled with her good name, because a good name is like a pleasant fragrance. For this reason those who call themselves Christians, but who live badly, insult Christ. Of them it is said that “on your account the name of God is blasphemed.” But if on account of bad Christians the name of God is blasphemed, on account of good Christians his holy name is praised. Hear what the Apostle says, “We are everywhere the sweet fragrance of Christ.”

When we give ourselves generously to him without reserve, we are the bonus odor Christi - the fragrance of Christ. Let us pray that our thoughts be sincere, full of peace, self-giving and service. Let us pray that we be true and clear in what we say - the right thing at the right time - so as to console and help and especially bring God’s light to others. Let us pray that our actions be consistent and effective and right, so that they give off the bonus odor Christi, the good fragrance of Christ, evoking his way of doing things.

Today, at Bethany, Jesus announces his Death. His decision is unwavering. From it will come forth Life, filled with light, beauty and strength, for every human person. Our Lord invites us to cooperate and co-redeem with him. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross, and follow me. He wants us to make the free decision to do good to souls. That is why he says: If anyone wishes… And we do wish, because, as St Ignatius of Antioch says, if our will is not ready to die according to Christ’s Passion, then Christ’s life will not be life in us, or in others.

We cannot wait for extraordinary opportunities to show our love for Jesus Christ. Each of our days is a continuous opportunity to serve him, to offer him our life, to spend it generously in his service and to accompany him faithfully along his earthly journey. These opportunities will almost always be in small things, in a child’s things, which we will manage to transform into something big by offering them through our Mother Mary’s hands. Sometimes we feel inclined to act as little children. What we do then has a wonderful value in God’s eyes and, so long as we don’t let routine creep in, our “little” actions will indeed be fruitful with the unfailing fruitfulness of Love.

We must love Christ, truly present in the tabernacle.

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Jesus Christ has achieved all this with his redeeming sacrifice. All mankind - every man and every woman until the end of time - can confidently look to heaven, which is now open to all.

Our Lord has stayed in the tabernacle, truly present, out of love for us. It is one more proof of God’s infinite charity. If love and faith moved Mary to show such loving care for our Lord by anointing his feet at Bethany, love and faith should move us to acknowledge explicitly the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, and to act accordingly.

Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe that you are Jesus, the Son of Mary ever-virgin. I believe that you are truly present: with your Body, with your Blood, with your Soul and with your Divinity. I adore you. I want to be your friend because you have redeemed me. I want to be your love, because you are my love.

Mary of Bethany does not think that she is doing anything extraordinary by using up such valuable ointment in anointing our Lord. She is acting in accordance with what she believes, with the spontaneity of love which knows nothing of meanness. And Jesus thanks her for it: She has done what she could: she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. And truly I say to you, wherever the Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.

That woman in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, who anoints the Master’s head with precious ointment, reminds us of our duty to be generous in the worship of God.

All beauty, richness and majesty seem little to me.

And against those who attack the richness of sacred vessels, of vestments and altars, stands the praise given by Jesus: opus enim bonum operata est in me - she has acted well towards me.

And our Father adds, inviting us to show our affection for the Blessed Sacrament: When you come to tell our Lord, perhaps without saying the words aloud, “Lord, I love you, I believe that you are here”, at the same time, praise the Blessed Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and invoke Mary and Joseph, because in some way they are present in the tabernacle, as they were at Bethlehem and Nazareth. Unite the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist to the Blessed Trinity, and remember the trinity on earth: the Mother of Christ and that most perfect man, St Joseph. You needn’t speak aloud, but let your heart proclaim it Don’t forget!