Gospel: Mark 14: 1 – 15: 47
While Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, ‘Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.’ And they scolded her. But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’
Reflection:
The Passover meal commemorates the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Just like they passed-over from slavery into freedom, Jesus will pass-over from death to life.
The meal dramatized his self-offering as the Paschal Lamb who will establish the new covenant.
On Palm Sunday, Christ is proclaimed King of Israel. A few days later, he is condemned to death by the same crowd. Nevertheless, Jesus ends his life forgiving all who have hurt him. How am I called to grow in this area?
