Day 73 – March 14

Today’s Readings:

Deuteronomy 5-6
Mark 14:1-26
Psalm 73

“…a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head…”She has done a good thing for me.”” – Mark 13:36-37

The act of extravagance portrayed in this chapter of Mark’s gospel displays one of the finest acts of love in the sacred scriptures. We heard today in Deuteronomy 6:4-19, the Shema prayer, the very one we heard Jesus quote three days ago in our readings:

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength…”

The woman has indeed expressed her love for the Lord. She goes way beyond what is expected of her, generous beyond description. It was the custom that when a guest arrived at a house to pour a few drops of perfume on them. This woman not only used the best oil she could find, but she lavishes her guest, Jesus, with the oil; she broke the flask and used its whole contents!

The breaking of the flask follows a custom when a distinguished guest dined with you, the cup they drank from would not be washed, but would be broken, so it would not be used by a lesser person. There is another custom that when a body is anointed for burial, the flask would be broken and laid alongside the body.

The costly oil, poured out in such extravagant love, an uncalculating love that goes beyond what is necessary; it is a little reckless in not counting the cost. Nothing is too much.

Many times we may have an inspiration to act with extravagance, to act only because it would be a lovely thing to do. Not necessary, but lovely. Perhaps we hesitate in these moments because we feel awkward, afraid we would be misunderstood – like the woman was. Perhaps our second thoughts hold us at bay from acting on a winsome idea. Perhaps an impulse to send a letter to someone of thanks, or expressing our love; the impulse to give a gift to someone with no reason, or to speak a special word.

Our impulses to love without cost are strangled before they are born in action. What would our world be like if more of us acted with such an impulse of love like the woman. Why did she do it? Perhaps she knew that if she did not act now, she would never do it at all. And what a difference her extravagance made to Jesus.

May God Bless you.

Day 71 – March 12

Today’s Readings:

Deuteronomy 1-2
Mark 13:1-20
Psalm 71

“You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.” – Mark 13:13

There is a story told of a prisoner during Hitler’s Germany, who was arrested because he stood for freedom. He was imprisoned and faced torture without complaining, and with great fortitude. Finally, he was released, with his spirit intact. He came to know that the informant that sent him to prison was in fact his own son. After which, he committed suicide. The betrayal of his own family was the worst torture, and he could not endure that (Barclay, Mark, p.313).

Jesus’ speaking of children rising up against parents, and parents turning in their children was nothing new to his listener; Old Testament texts tell of it. And, as individuals in the first century chose to become part of The Way, believing in Jesus as the Messiah, they knew full well that their choice would often oppose their family’s wishes. The tension of following Jesus was a reality that we can only hear of in stories. They knew that their choice to become a Christian was a choosing to take up a hard way of life. They knew they would be hated by some who just the day before were their friends and family.

It is in this context Saint Paul writes about needing endurance to run the race. To choose Christ, to live for Christ, is not a quick race; it is a marathon that takes place over the whole course of our lives. This may not be a race of outright hatred known to the early Christians; it is more likely to be opposition that is more subtle. But one, when we live for Him alone, we will feel the pinch. It is the willingness to take up our Cross daily and follow after Jesus.

Our Cross? Each of us bear the burden in different ways. For some, it is waking each morning and picking up the cross of depression and choosing life when it is all too easy to desire to ‘end it all’. Perhaps it is the cross of watching a family member self-destruct because of addiction, and loving that person is a daily sacrifice united with Jesus on the Altar at Mass. Is the cross unemployment? Chronic illness? Wayward children? Or, as for one young woman I know, who courageously fights for the unborn and has her heart broken by the coldness of the legislature to not even acknowledge the need for children born alive from failed abortions, left without care to die of cold and starvation.

We must pick up our Cross and carry it daily, uniting it with our Lord, because of love, which “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

May God Bless you.

Day 70 – March 11

Today’s Readings:

Numbers 35-36
Mark 12:28-44
Psalm 70

‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

In answer to the Scribe’s question, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”, Jesus quotes two Biblical texts. The first, from Deuteronomy, chapter 6, the famous Shema prayer, which declares God as the only god, the basis for the monotheism of the Jewish people. The second text is from Leviticus 19:18, which tells how one should treat your neighbor.

As far as can be known, Jesus was the first to put these two parts of law together and fuse them into one, love of God – love of neighbor. The scribe was quick to see how they relate with one another, how love is the supreme law, even above ritualistic sacrifices. He recognized that true love is sacrifice of the highest degree. Jesus approves of his understanding.

How can we apply this today? Just as it was in Jesus’ time, there is a tendency to ‘ritualize’ our love of God, to make it be something we do on Sunday, or at assigned times of our prayer. In Jesus’ day, love could easily be set aside for ritual, such as in the response of the Priest and Levite when they pass the wounded traveler on the road; they failed in love, not wanting to risk contaminating themselves from participation in the temple rituals and sacrifices.

For the saints, they understood the second part of Jesus’ law is the way par excellence to love God. Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” During this Lenten season, it is the perfect opportunity to make ‘sacrifices’ of love for God by expressing compassion for our neighbor.

We have only to take to heart this teaching, put it into practice and find ourselves, like the Scribe, not far from the kingdom of God.

May God Bless you.

Day 42 – February 11

Today’s Readings:

Leviticus 4-5
Matthew 26:1-25
Psalm 42

“…a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of costly perfumed oil, and poured it on his head while he was reclining at table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and said, “Why this waste?”
– Matthew 26:7-8

Extravagance. This is expressed by the woman with her alabaster jar of costly perfumed oil. She “wastes” the oil for love. What a beautiful image by which gratitude is shown to Jesus. What a concept – ‘wasted for love’.

Yet, no matter how much she sacrificed for her love of Jesus, it is only a pale shadow in comparison to the lavish gift we have received through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.

Extravagance. What are you willing to ‘waste for love’ of Jesus?

May God bless you!

Day 36 – February 5

Today’s Readings:

Exodus 29-30
Matthew 23:1-22
Psalm 36

“He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted..” – Matthew 23:11-12

Today we continue to see Jesus at odds with the Pharisees and Scribes, so it might help us to better understand them from their own Talmud, which describes seven kinds of Pharisees*:

1. The Shoulder Pharisee wore his good deeds on his shoulder, to build up his reputation for purity and goodness (did good to be seen).
2. Wait-a-little Pharisee found reasons to delay his good deeds (he spoke well on serving, but did not do).
3. Bruising or Bleeding Pharisee would bump into walls due to covering their eyes lest they see a woman in public as a way of raising their esteem for piety.
4. Pestle and Mortar Pharisee had the appearance of one bent over in humility. It was self-advertising ostentation.
5. Ever-reckoning Pharisee will keep score on his good deeds so to put God in debt (sort of like in the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector in the temple to pray).
6. Timid or Fearing Pharisee is in dread of divine punishment, worried about the outside of his cup  and plate, so he will seem good. He views religion in terms of judgment.
7. God-fearing Pharisee is one who really and truly loves God and is loyal to His commands.

Six bad kinds to one good kind. The Pharisees listening to Jesus’ scathing observation about themselves couldn’t help themselves from agreeing  with his denunciation.

And you? Where do you fall in this list? Would Jesus denounce you? How would you respond?

Let us pray, that we may be genuine in seeking the will of God, with awe and reverence, and like the God-fearing Pharisee do all things out of love.

May God bless you!

* The seven kinds of Pharisees is taken from The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of Matthew, W. Barclay, Vol. 2, pg. 283-284.