THE WORD
Is 42,1-7 / 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 of 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 Jesus, 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
The impending death of the Lord is seen in our readings today. In the first reading, we have a song of the Suffering Servant of Yahweh, a clear prefiguration of the passion and death of the Lord.
And in the gospel reading, Jesus Himself spoke about his day of burial, so much so that he allowed his feet to be anointed with the aromatic oil. For some of us, it might be so difficult to think that
God who is supposed to be strong, omniscient and all-powerful is attributed with sacrifice, pain, suffering and even subject Himself to death. But this suffering should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a sacrificial service brought about by the great love of God.
In a seemingly grand idea of sacrificial love and service, we have the examples of Martha and Mary, whose lives are characterized by diverse forms of sacrifice and service. Here we have the Johannine version of the infamous reception of Jesus. And oftentimes, they become subjects of comparison as to who “chose the better part,” Martha being more active while Mary takes more contemplative adoration. The Johannine version is not very much interested in the distinction of the forms of services, rather, we are led to focus on how even our small acts of services are united into the greater idea of the sacrificial love of the Suffering Servant.
We can find beautiful examples of this in the lives of our Filipino migrants here in Rome, who devote all their energies for work, not for their own convenience but for the bene t of their loved ones. Many of them forget about their own concerns, braving loneliness and even deprivation of comforts, just to give a better life for their loved ones. I am not wondering why they still have all the energies to be active in church activities despite their busyness in work. Many of them, fresh from the sweat of working, would literally run on a Thursday afternoon for a Eucharistic adoration, for the block rosary on a Saturday night and most of them are full time pastoral leaders on Sundays, serving more than 50 Filipinos communities here in Rome alone. They, in their experience of sacrifice and love, find no better consolation in the suffering God who out of great love has offered Himself for the salvation of all.
As we continue the celebration of the holy week, let us unite our “little” sacrifices and forms of services, as Martha, Mary and even Lazarus did, in the greater sacrifice of the paschal mystery of God.
- Fr. Antonio Gilberto S. Marqueses, SVD | Rome, Italy
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
