Monday of Holy Week

Isaiah 42: 1-7 , Psalm 27, John 12, 1 – 11

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair.”

John 12:3

At our baptism with the oil of Chrism we are sealed as Christ’s own, uniting us to Christ and marking the beginning of our relationship with Him. Here, in this passage from John, it is the week before Passover when Mary takes exorbitantly expensive perfumed oil and drenches Jesus' feet with it. Jesus comments on her act by referring to his coming death and burial. There is another way to view Mary's act.

I see this costly oil as symbolizing the most valuable thing each of us has – ourselves. Mary pours out herself at Jesus' feet. We, too, have the opportunity at any moment in our lives to pour out ourselves at the feet of Jesus; to let go of our self-centered, egotistical selves and to drench His feet with all of our mind, heart and soul.

Anointing Jesus' feet with the whole of our being marks growth in our relationship with Christ, further sealing the relationship that began at our baptism. This anointing with the “oil of ourselves” is an on-going, never-ending act on our part if we desire an ever-deepening relationship with Christ.

A relationship which Psalm 27 describes as one in which “The Lord is my light and my salvation.... the stronghold of my life.... He will hide me in his shelter.... My heart shall not fear.... I will be confident... live in the house of the Lord.... behold the beauty of the Lord.... see the Goodness of the Lord.”

The Psalmist exclaims, “ 'Come', my heart says, 'seek His face!' "

If we can anoint Jesus' feet with the whole of ourselves as Mary did, I have hope that one day He will show us His face.

Adrienne Carlee