Catholic Daily: Monday Of Fifth Week Of Lent, April 11 2022

Lent is a time of repentance. A season of awareness that sin separates us from God and of what it cost Him to be reunited with us. Today's catholic reflection in this period of lent centres on the topic 'Anointing the Feet of Jesus', taken from the gospel of John 12:3.

Anointing the Feet of Jesus

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.  John 12:3.

What a humble and beautiful act of love toward Jesus.  This perfume was worth 300 days’ wages.  That’s a lot of money!  It’s interesting to note that Judas objected to this act by claiming that he thought it should have been sold and the money given to the poor.  But the Gospel states clearly that Judas was really only interested in the money himself since he used to steal from the money bag.  Of even greater note is Jesus’ response to Judas.  Jesus rebukes Judas and states, “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.”

If anyone else would have said this it would have sounded self-centered.  But it was Jesus who said it and He was perfectly selfless in His love.  So what was this all about?  It was about the fact that Jesus knew what Mary needed.  And in saying what He did, He revealed what each one of us needs.  We need to worship Him, honor Him and make Him the center of our lives.  We need to humble ourselves before Him and serve Him.  Not because He needs us to treat Him this way, but because we need to treat Him this way.  Honoring Him in our humility and love is what we need to do for our own holiness and happiness.  Jesus knew this, so He honored Mary for this act of love.

This story invites us to do the same.  It invites us to look to Jesus and to make Him the center of our adoration and love.  It invites us to willingly pour out all our labor for Him (symbolized by the perfume worth 300 days’ wages).  Nothing is too costly for Jesus.  Nothing is worth more than an act of our worship.

Worship of God is right to do.  Most importantly, it’s an act that will transform you into the person you were made to be.  You were made for worship and adoration of God and this is accomplished when you humbly honor our Lord with your whole self.  

Reflect, today, upon the depth of your own adoration of our Lord.  Are you willing to “spill” your whole livelihood upon Him?  Is He worth more to you than 300 days’ wages?  Is He the most central part of your life?  Do you daily humble yourself before Him and pour out your heart to Him in prayer?  Reflect upon this humble act of worship that Mary offers Jesus and seek to imitate her beautiful example.

Lord, may I follow the example of this holy woman, Mary.  Help me to humble myself before You and honor You with my whole life.  Dear Lord, nothing in life is more important than You and my total adoration of You.  Draw me in, dear Lord, humble me before Your glory and help me to love and worship You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.