Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 3, 2023
Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
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.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.
“Leave her alone.” Of the many significant elements of today’s passage, this brief statement by Jesus lingers with me. More than a brief scolding, Jesus’ rebuff of Judas as he attempts to diminish Mary’s loving act, is a caution to us all.
We’ve all tried to pull the same move as Judas. “Hey, let me point out something petty, masked as noble, so I can distract from what I’m really up to or afraid of.” It’s easy to twist circumstances to obfuscate or manipulate—sometimes brashly and sometimes quietly. We do so to serve our desired end, our deemed good.
But Jesus’ response is quick and straightforward. Jesus redirects Judas and all those gathered to what he knows is the end and the good: a future without his physical form, a future with the poor, a future of building the earthly kingdom of God left in our hands.
Jesus knows that Judas, focused on appearance over authenticity, is not the future. Mary is the future because she models true belief in Christ’s presence and power, humbly giving of herself in time, resources, and spirit.
Mary is ready for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Judas is not.
Are we ready for Jesus’ death and resurrection? Are we true believers like Mary focused on Jesus’ presence in our lives, or are we creating distractions and on the brink of betrayal like Judas? Likely, we are somewhere in between. Perhaps there are moments in our lives when we hear Jesus redirect us with a version of “leave her alone.” And perhaps there are moments when we feel Jesus affirm the strength of our faith with his trust.
As we enter the holy days ahead, let us pause to humbly listen to Jesus as we seek to uplift his desired end and good.
Prayer
God Almighty, having just yesterday commemorated the passion of Jesus your Son, we continue in this Holy Week to learn of the mixture of friendship and betrayal, of intimacy and hypocrisy, that marked those final days of your Son’s earthly ministry. Help us to be attentive to Christ these days as we remember his forthcoming suffering and death. May we imitate Jesus’ own attentiveness, courage, and faithfulness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
In 303, Emperor Diocletian outlawed the possession of sacred Scripture. Three Christian sisters living in Thessalonica at the time—Agape, Chionia, and Irene—concealed the several volumes of Scripture that they owned.
Later, the three were arrested for refusing to eat food sacrificed to Roman gods. When they were taken, their house was searched and the Scriptures discovered. Agape and Chionia were martyred first, and when Irene was commanded to deny her faith, she, too, was condemned to die. She was exposed in a house of prostitution first, but when she remained untouched, she was killed. It is thought that she was killed with arrows, which she shows in this illustration.
The relics of St. Irene rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
St. Irene, who, with your sisters, gave your life for love of Scripture—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Irene is an illustration by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman '06, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.