Lenten Moments of Mercy: Monday of Holy Week

Monday of Holy Week   Holy Week is a time to celebrate the beauty of the Lord.

Scripture “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,        my chosen, in whom my soul delights;    I have put my spirit upon him;       he will bring forth justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1      Reflection Six days before Passover, Jesus is in Bethany eating at the home of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. Mary on this occasion pours a pound of pure nard, a costly perfume, on the feet of Jesus and dries them with her hair. Judas Iscariot objects saying that the perfume could have been sold for 300 denarii and the proceeds given to the poor. A denarii was a day’s wage, and the equivalent price for the nard in today’s terms would be about $30,000. We see two radical differences in attitude between Mary and Judas. Mary sees in Jesus the infinite beauty of him as a person, and her extravagant gift celebrates his presence in her life. Judas, whom the Gospel of John identifies as an embezzler of the common purse (John 12:6), sees Jesus as a commodity. He follows Jesus as a source of financial gain. Were he to get a hold of 300 denarii, it would not be for the benefit of the poor but for his own. In today’s world Judas would be among those who do not believe they can be true ministers of Jesus without their private jet transportation. This week we will be celebrating Jesus’ final journey on earth with some of the most beautiful liturgies and music of the liturgical year. And it is most appropriate that we do so. The Church today is the conservator of much of the beauty of the Christian tradition. Priceless paintings, chapels, and sculptures enrich places of worship for all to see and reflect upon. There are those who say these priceless objects should be sold so that the money can be given to the poor. If this is done, these beautiful artifacts would disappear into private collections; this world of beauty would be the preserve of the wealthy and connected and no longer enrich us all. In response to Judas’s criticism, Jesus reminds us that Mary is celebrating the beauty of his person, who will soon disappear. The responsibility for caring for the poor is ongoing, and there is no contradiction between celebrating the precious moments and the Christian vocation of caring for those who are poor. Quite the contrary—the celebrations of Holy Week energize us in our vocation of mercy.

Pope Francis “Jesus was like a commodity; he was sold. He was sold at that moment . . . and has also very frequently been sold in the market of history, in the market of life, in the market of our lives. When we opt for thirty pieces of silver, we set Jesus aside.” Morning Meditation, 27 March 2013   Prayer Be with us, O Lord, this week as we wait to see your beauty and goodness in the land of the living.

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