Monday of Holy Week
John 12:1-11
“For the poor, you have with you always. But me, you do not always have.”
Then six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus had died, whom Jesus raised up. And they made a dinner for him there. And Martha was ministering. And truly, Lazarus was one of those who were sitting at table with him.
And then Mary took twelve ounces of pure spikenard ointment, very precious, and she anointed the feet of Jesus, and she wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was soon to betray him, said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the needy?” Now he said this, not out of concern for the needy, but because he was a thief and, since he held the purse, he used to carry what was put into it.
But Jesus said: “Permit her, so that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor, you have with you always. But me, you do not always have.”
Now a great multitude of the Jews knew that he was in that place, and so they came, not so much because of Jesus, but so that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the leaders of the priests planned to put Lazarus to death also. For many of the Jews, because of him, were going away and were believing in Jesus.
What do the Fathers say?
St AUGUSTINE. He, Lazarus, lived, talked, feasted; the truth was established, the unbelief of the Jews confounded.
When the news of this great miracle had spread every where, and was supported by such clear evidence, that they could neither suppress or deny the fact, then, The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death.
O blind rage! as if the Lord could raise the dead, and not raise the slain. Behold, the Lord has done both. He raised Lazarus, and He raised Himself.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. No other miracle of Christ excited such rage as this. It was so public, and so wonderful, to see a man walking and talking after he had been dead four days. And the fact was so undeniable. In the case of some other miracles they had charged Him with breaking the sabbath, and so diverted people’s minds: but here there was nothing to find fault with, and therefore they vent their anger upon Lazarus.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. Mary did not take part in serving the guests generally, but gave all her attention to our Lord, treating Him not as mere man, but as God:
St ALCUIN. So, Mary, who was not able to be present at the anointing of His dead body, was able to do Him this office in His lifetime.