Isaiah 42:1-7  “…Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased,...”

Psalm 27: 1, 2, 3, 13-14  “…The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?...”

John 12: 1-11   “…Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead…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.’”

Today we begin our final week of Lent, our Holy Week.  The readings are full of prophesy and prediction as we read in Isaiah about the “Chosen One” to come, who will bring justice to the nations.  And still today, 2000 + years later, there are still people who have not heard Christ’s message.  And so let us pray for those who work in the mission fields throughout the world, working to spread Christ’s message to all of God’s people in every nation.  “Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.  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.” (Is 42:4, 2-3)  Many of us by now have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ.”  For me, it has more finely sharpened my focus on the meaning of this season.  A meeker soul, I do not think I have ever seen in this person of Christ, our Brother, our Teacher, our LORD.  He faced so much personal injustice, but a bruised reed he never broke.  The only time I remember Jesus being anxious and upset, was when he overturned the money tables in the temple, telling the operators to move out of His Father’s House, for it was not meant for their trade activity, but rather for worship.  Then, if we thought we could endure how he laid His life down without a fight, it seems even more impossible to remember how He forgave His oppressors just before His life expired.  Oh My! what a lesson, what a Holy Week we begin…

From our reading in John’s Gospel we take a look at how Jesus chose to spend his final days on earth as He moved towards the Hour for whence He came.  We see Him gathering with his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany to share a meal.  Of course, the crowds come as well, to see Jesus and to see Lazarus again, since they still couldn’t believe that Jesus had brought Lazarus back to life.  Since Lazarus had been dead for several days before Jesus restored his life, this miracle was causing several people to believe in Jesus, and the chief priests were beginning to plot against Lazarus too.   We’re told that Jesus allows Mary to anoint his feet with fine aromatic nard, and we know some of his disciples are with him as well as we hear from Judas who objects to the use of the anointing thinking the oil could be sold to raise money for the poor (Jesus knew Judas only cared about the money he was out, since he stole from the purse).  So, Jesus tells Judas not to worry about selling the oil to raise money for the poor; for they will always be with us he says.  Rather Jesus says to keep it for his burial preparations.  One of the many hints Jesus dropped to his disciples and friends to help prepare them for the day, when He would no longer be with them in the flesh.

So, today lets us imagine sitting at the feet of Jesus, rubbing the aromatic oil into his weary feet.  Like Mary we’ll use our hair to rub off any that won’t soak in so His feet won’t attract dust and soil.  Let us travel each step with Him this week, in Holy Anticipation of the Hour that is upon Him.  Ask for the strength to not deny Christ with our actions and our inactions.  What would Christ have us do for Him this week?  In our Psalm we read: “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”  (Psalm 27:1)  Let us all step up to be the light to the world by the way we are present to each other this week.  Let us show the world the reason for our joy.  God Bless…