A little something I shared over on Substack about tomorrow’s gospel.
Jesus thirsts to be thirsted for
Category: Scripture reflections
The yearning such a fragrance brings
This passage has always held great significance for me, especially because of Christ’s invitation to me to live a consecrated life for him. But we, each in his or her own way, are invited by him to pour out what is most precious to us upon his feet, to enter into that intimacy with him, and this week is a most important time for us to do just that.
The Anointing at Bethany
Come close with Mary, Martha , Lazarus
So close the candles stir with their soft breath
And kindle heart and soul to flame within us
Lit by these mysteries of life and death.
For beauty now begins the final movement
In quietness and intimate encounter
The alabaster jar of precious ointment
Is broken open for the world’s true lover,
The whole room richly fills to feast the senses
With all the yearning such a fragrance brings,
The heart is mourning but the spirit dances,
Here at the very centre of all things,
Here at the meeting place of love and loss
We all foresee, and see beyond the cross.
Malcolm Guite
The blessing of the unoffended
I have shared here before about this verse: “And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” (Mt 11:6) It is one of my “life” verses, as some say. And, of course, it comes to mind today on this feast of his birth. Just as with Jesus, his death was never far from his thoughts, I am sure. I encourage you to read what I have written below about this verse, and may it be an encouragement to you to live the same. That is my prayer for you today.
Hold onto him!
I must confess that I have always been bothered by Christ’s words to Mary Magdalene at the tomb, telling her to not hold on to him. I’ve read many commentaries on that passage but still find my heart protesting. How can you ask her–how can you ask me–to not hold on to you? But then I came across this:
“Yes, by all means, hold on to him! Grasp his cloak or grasp his legs, or throw your arms around his body and hold him tight! But you must do this in the right way, for he cannot be held by merely human arms. Rather, it is the love of your heart which alone can hold him, the faith and hope that impel you to surrender yourself trustingly into his embrace. You can hold him when you let yourself first be held.”
(Joshua Elner)
A great price
While the King rests in his own room, my nard yields its perfume.
(Song of Songs 1:12)
“In the gospels, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, poured out a costly nard ointment that symbolized both her complete devotion to Christ and the anointing of Christ for his death and burial (Jn 12:3; Mk 14:3; Mt 26:6-13). Here is accentuated the costliness of the nard, which is poured out and fills the entire house with its perfume. Such a perfume brings a great price. To anoint Christ as your king will demand from you a constant sacrifice of everything in order that you can become a precious perfume to him.”
(George A. Maloney, Singers of the New Song.)
I will allure her
Still one of my favorite pieces of art that I’ve done. Who is god like our God who speaks tenderly to us in our sinfulness?
Only a little hill
(I posted this almost 14 years ago, but someone found it yesterday and “liked” it. I’m thinking it might be good to share again because we all have our little hills.)
Did you ever wonder about Mizar in Ps 42–where it was and what was its significance? (Maybe you didn’t, but have I piqued your curiosity?) Here’s Amy Carmichael’s take on it:
Ps 42.6 The Hill Mizar
Did you ever feel that you had nothing great enough to be called a trouble, and yet you very much needed help? I have been finding much encouragement in the hill Mizar. For Mizar means littleness–the little hill. The land of Jordan was a place where great floods (the swelling of Jordan) might terrify the soul, and the land of the Hermonites was a place of lions and leopards [FYI: these are the places mentioned in this verse]; but Mizar was only a little hill: and yet the word is, I will “remember You from . . . the hill Mizar”, from the little hill.
So just where we are, from the place of our little trial, little pain, little difficulty, little temptation (if temptation can ever be little), let us remember our God. Relief will surely come, and victory and peace; for “the Lord will command His lovingkindness” (v. 8), even to us in our little hill.
Fill in the blank
The second antiphon for morning prayer this morning (Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul) reads: “Paul, my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.” I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to put my own name in place of Paul’s and pray it again: “Dorcee, my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.” I would like to suggest that you do the same. Place your name in the blank and then pray it slowly a few times. For it is truth for your soul as well as Paul’s.
_____________________________, my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in your weakness.
_____________________________, my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in your weakness.
_____________________________, my grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in your weakness.
Mustard seed
Today’s gospel speaks about the power of having faith the size of a mustard seed. My reflection on that as I am dealing with some major fear in my life–sometimes in my relationship with the Lord and how well I am really responding to him. Hope it brings you hope.
Locked doors
I always find this kind of reflection on the Easter appearances full of great hope for folks like me: “Jesus moves among men and women–even if it means passing through doors locked from within” (Jn 20.19-23). (Fr. William M. Joensen) Many of us frequently–or continually–bolt the doors of our hearts from within, yet we long for Christ to come to us. We can have great hope . . . for He is the One who can enter “through doors locked from within.”
Witnesses to Hope 