Journeying Through Holy Week: A Matter Of The Heart

The Feast of the Passover during the time of Jesus was so much filled with

anticipation. Emotions ran high as people recalled the history of their ancestors'

deliverance from slavery in Egypt. For weeks leading up to the feast, the Jews made

intense preparations because they believed that the Messiah would come at Passover to

deliver them, God’s chosen people, from oppression. Aware of the crowd’s sentiments,

the enemies of Jesus expected him to appear in Jerusalem and planned to arrest him

before he had the chance to incite the crowds to make him their Messiah and King. And

as Jesus made his way towards Jerusalem for what he knows will be his last Passover

with his disciples, he stopped in the village of Bethany where he was invited to dinner by

a well-to-do host named Simon. 

In the course of his dinner with Simon and his company, a woman interrupted the

meal which shocked all those who were present: she loosened her hair and anointed

Jesus’ feet. During that time, to loosen one’s hair in public, even for a married woman

was a sign of grave immodesty. Oblivious to all around her except for Jesus, she

generously poured out a very precious ointment on his feet and then dried them with her

hair. There were of course those who became indignant of what she did: "Why has there

been this waste of perfumed oil? It could have been sold for more than three hundred

days' wages and the money given to the poor." They were infuriated with her. Jesus said,

"Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me …

She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial.” (Mk

14:4-8) John in his gospel spoke of this woman as Mary, the sister of Martha and

Lazarus who were close friends of Jesus. 

 Finding an occasion to drive home a point, Jesus turned to the woman and said to

Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water

for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You

did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.

You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell

you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to

whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Lk 7:44-

48) By inviting Simon to “really see” Mary, Jesus reminded him of the the most basic

element of hospitality which he failed to extend to Jesus: love.

We begin Holy Week with Mary’s prophetic anointing of Jesus: she foreshadows

his imminent death, honors him as God’s anointed, pours out love and devotion too deep

for words. Her action reminds us that our journey through Holy Week is a matter of the

heart. The greatest commandment is not to understand, proclaim or obey, but to love the

Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. After welcoming Jesus

yesterday, we now accompany him to his passion, desiring to be more intimately united

with him. With an inner knowledge of the heart, may that love which impelled Mary to

give not just a few precious drops but everything she had, also well up in our hearts.