Monday of the Holy Week – 25th March 2024 – Isaiah 42,1-7; Jn 12,1-11
Astute Follower
In the first reading, the first song of the suffering servant reveals the servant who is chosen by God, who does what is pleasing to God and to be anointed by the Spirit. This anointing of the Servant occurred on the day of Jesus’ Baptism when John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus. The voice of the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3,17). This chosen servant is being anointed in today’s gospel by Mary of Bethany. The anointing of the Spirit at the baptism prepared Jesus for public ministry of teaching, healing the blind and lame, casting out demons, working miracles; the anointing of Mary is an immediate preparation for Jesus’ passion and death as the Suffering Servant. Jesus tells her that she has anointed him for his burial. It means that she had been an astute follower of Jesus. She must have heard either from Jesus directly, or from others the predictions that Jesus had made regarding his passion. Jesus commends her for lavishing her attention on him and tells the disciples that they should take after her example. Not only that, but he tells them that she will be remembered always for her act of kindness towards him, a sign of a greater good to put Jesus first, and to love him with all one has.
