Let us be for other what Mary was for Jesus

Ish 42:1-7, Jn 12:1-11. As we begin the Holy week, a time to prayerfully reflect on the final journey of Jesus to His Passion, we focus on one of the most significant and powerful gifts we can share with others,-compassion. Compassion rises from deep within and becomes an almost unstoppable movement toward someone in response to their pain. We respond with love in a gesture of care. In today's Gospel, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who are friends of Jesus, host a dinner for Him. Surely, the political pressure on Jesus and the anger that was simmering against Him were taking an extreme toll on Him. It is likely that His dear companions were moved by their deep compassion for their friend and reached out to Him to provide respite, love and care. They wanted to provide comfort in the great storm of His life, so they invited Him to join them and prepared a special feast to demonstrate their solidarity and devotion to Him.

Mary was so moved that she went even further when she took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair. Despite the cost of the ointment, Jesus defends her generous act as preparing Him for His death and burial. He welcomed the anointing as a loving gesture that mirrors His love for us, the kind of honour we ought to show to each other. Sometimes we are blessed to meet people like Mary who affirms and encourageS us when we need it. Hopefully, we can also be for others what she was for Jesus, a generous friend in an often surly world.

May the Lord continue to guide us, strengthen our faith and inspire us to live our lives following the good example of the humility of Mary, who gave her all in service to God! Amen!! Stay safe and have a prayerful week!!!