Do not criticize Mary. I approve of what she is doing.

"LORD, YOU HAVE MADE US FOR YOURSELF, AND OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN YOU."

"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."  (John 12: 3).

Monday 11th April 2022, Monday of Holy Week.

In six days, it will be the Passover. Jesus visited the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, His very good friends. Perhaps to enjoy one last good meal and wine in Martha's Vineyard before His Passion. The star of the story today is not the matriarch, Martha whose hospitality is proverbial nor their apparently recluse brother, Lazarus.

The star is Mary who performed an outlandish gesture to demonstrate her love for Jesus. She broke a vial of what may be considered the very equivalent of the top line of Pierre Chardin and poured the oozing aromatic liquid on the feet of Jesus and wiped the feet with her long hairs. While some guests criticized this apparent waste, Jesus was very pleased and spoke up for Mary.

Who is Mary? Mary is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. They hail from the village of Bethany a couple of miles from Jerusalem. We want to focus here not on Mary of Bethany but on Mary, a type of female passionate follower of Jesus who is marked by the following characteristics:
#1 Absolute and radical commitment.
#2 Total self-giving.
#3 Deep consecration (set apart) to Jesus and His cause.
Consider the following female saints who fit this profile:

+ Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of the Son.
+ Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles.
+ Margaret Mary, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
+ Mary Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy.

We are today in the last week of Lent 2022. Where are you in the Journey of knowing Jesus more intimately so that you can love Him more passionately and serve Him everywhere?

I share below a powerful inspiration I received from the SENDING FORTH Song today at the Mass of the Passion of the LORD at my Parish.

STAY WITH ME,
REMAIN HERE WITH ME,
WATCH AND PRAY,
WATCH AND PRAY.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com