John 12:3
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Have you ever gotten a gift that was so elegant, so precious, so generous, that you said Oh! You shouldn't have! I certainly have. What makes us respond that way? Shouldn't we be happy to receive awesome gifts from people who love us? It might have to do with a sort of pride that makes us incapable of receiving well. Sometimes I want to be the one who decides what I get and when I get it. Some times the generosity of others reminds me of how un-generous I am.
But Jesus responds differently. He lets Mary be generous and anoint his feet with this expensive oil because he knows that he is getting ready to give her something much more precious: the sacrifice of his body for her salvation and the salvation of the whole world. And he is going to give that same gift to you and me. It seems like too much maybe in a way it is, because we can certainly never pay it back. But it's what Jesus wants to give us. As we get ready for the Triduum celebration, can you allow Jesus to give you this amazing gift?
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Zach Brasseur, Pastoral year, St. Timothy
Home parish: St. Paul's, St. Petersburg
Did you know...
I once climbed a volcano in Guatemala.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
