Renewing Devotion

My wife and I showed our devotion to Jesus by packing food for starving children.

'Why give money to World Hunger when they should help themselves and there’s people to take care of your own family or church or country?’

Or, one could say, why waste expensive perfume to anoint Jesus’ feet when you could have used the money to feed the poor?

That’s rational, selfish, and sarcastic Judas speaking to willfully discredit Mary. Mary however, responded with love, generosity, and extravagant devotion.

Word

The lectionary gospel on the Sunday before Holy Week tells of Mary sharing her devotion for Jesus. She uses expensive oil, and outrageously, her hair and tears, to express her love, her service, her faith in Jesus.

While they are at dinner, “Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.” (John 12:3)

Guess what? Mary doesn’t care about the cost, or what other people might say. She does what feels right to her. She anoints Jesus for his burial, and shows her deepest devotion. And Jesus, aware of his impending passion, approves of Mary’s extravagant act.

Connection

So, what would we do? What would we do with our possessions, time, and abilities if we knew to expect our death, or that of a loved one?

Wouldn’t the awareness of death change everything? Wouldn’t you give everything, for someone you love more than anything in the world?

So why hold back our devotion, while we still have time and opportunities, to share our time and money with Jesus, those around us, and others who are poor?

Mary didn’t wait til Jesus’ burial. She used her gift while Jesus was still alive and with her.

Message

The Good News is: God has done mighty deeds for the Israelites in the past, and again for the whole world through Jesus.

Jesus says to you: My sacrificial passion that changed everything. Your acts of faithful devotion change the lives of others now.