Devotion for today: Martha at the table, Mary at Christ’s feet

Today we travel to the home of Lazarus, six days before the passion of Our Lord. Martha, as usual, is serving dinner, and Mary, well, Mary is being Mary.

Scripture for meditation: John 12:1-3

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

St. Thomas Aquinas tells us: Bethany was a village near Jerusalem, and it means the "house of obedience." "He became obedient unto death" (Phil 2:8). Next he mentions the three people who attended or sat with Jesus: Martha, Lazarus and Mary. Martha signifies the prelates who are appointed to serve in the churches: "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewardess of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor 4:1). Thus we read that Martha served: "Martha was busy with much serving" [Lk 10:40]. Lazarus, who had been raised to life, signifies those who have been brought from sin to the state of righteousness by the ministry or service of the prelates; and they, alone with the other righteous, feast spiritually with the Lord. Thus he says, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him: "Let the just feast and rejoice before God and be delighted with gladness" [Ps 67:4]. Mary signifies the contemplatives, for we read in Luke (10:39): "Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching."  Three things are mentioned about Mary's kindness: first, the ointment she used; secondly, the kindness she offered; thirdly, its effect. With regard to the ointment, three things are noted. First, the amount, and it was a large amount, a pound of ointment: "If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion" (Tobit 4:8). Secondly, its matter, for it was made of nard: "While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance" (Song 1:11). Recall that nard is a short black aromatic herb; and the ointment which is made from it has a fragrance which has the power to give strength and comfort. Thirdly, its composition is noted, for the nard is described as pisticus. According to Augustine, the word pisticus is taken from the place where nard originates. However, it is better to interpret this word as meaning "true" or "pure," that is, as not adulterated: for pistis in Greek is the same as our fides [truthful, honest]. He adds that it was costly, because it was made from nard, which is used in costly ointments, and perhaps other expensive ingredients were added to it. This teaches us that we should offer to God those things we regard as most precious: "I will offer to thee burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams" (Ps 66:15); "Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished" (Mal 1:14). See Mary's humility, for she fell down at the feet of Jesus and anointed the feet of Jesus, according to, "Let us worship at his footstool" (Ps 132:7). Secondly, see her devotion, for she wiped his feet with her hair, in this way making an offering of herself: "Yield your members to God as instruments of righteousness" (Rom 6:13). He mentions the effect of her ministering when he says, “and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.” This tells us of the goodness of this ointment, which filled the entire house: "We will run after thee to the odor of thy ointments" [Song 1:3]. Mystically, the pound Mary used denotes the work of justice, for it belongs to justice to weigh things and give pound for pound: "Their weight shall be equal" [Ezek 45:11]. Now four other virtues must be added if the work of justice is to be perfect. First, compassion: and so he says, ointment, which, because it is soothing, represents mercy: "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:12). Secondly, humility is needed: so he says, nard, which, since it is a small herb, signifies humility: "The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself" (Si 3:18). Thirdly, faith is needed: thus he says, pure (pisticus) that is believing (fidelis): "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4). Fourthly, charity must be present: so he says, costly, for charity alone pays the price for eternal life: "If I give away all I have…but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor 13:3).  Again, because the hair is produced from what is superfluous in the body, one dries the Lord's feet with his hair when he takes what he has in surplus and relieves the needs of his neighbor: "Give that which remains as alms" [Lk 11:41]. Thus Augustine says: "If you have a surplus of anything, give it to the poor and you have dried the feet of the Lord." The fact that the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment signifies that because of the works of justice, the Church enjoys and is filled with a good name: "We are the aroma of Christ" (2 Cor 2:15).

Prayer: A favorite prayer of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance everywhere we go. Flood our souls with Your Spirit and Life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly that our lives may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through us and be so in us that every soul we come in contact with may feel Your presence in our souls. Let them look up, and see no longer us, but only Jesus!  Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be ours.  It will be You, shining on others through us. Let us thus praise You in the way You love best, by shining on those around us. Let us preach You without preaching, not by words but by example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do, the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear for You. Amen. (www.motherteresa.org)

My thoughts: This, of course, is only part of St. Thomas Aquinas’ commentary on this Gospel passage. I encourage you to go to  http://dhspriory.org/thomas/John12.htm and read the entire entry. Today we learn of two very important roles symbolized through Martha and Mary: the service and the prayer of the Church. It is the same in our own lives. When we spend too much time being busy, we never hear the Lord’s voice. We must take time to pray, meditate on Scripture and place ourselves before the Lord. On the other hand, as St. James tells us (James 1:22): Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” We cannot spend our entire lives in prayer and meditation without bringing the fruits of that time into the world. St. Thomas Aquinas shows us how Mary’s simple act of washing Christ’s feet and drying them with her hair teaches us so many lessons on compassion, humility, faith and charity. Let us learn from our two women of the passion today, and be quick to serve, and quick to pray.

Our prayer to God:  In this, our week of almsgiving, let us not hesitate to give of our surplus...clean out closets and give away what we don't truly need. Then, let us examine what we usually financially donate to the poor, and give more, out of our need and not out of our surplus. Finally, let us perform a random act of kindness, and thus pour forth "the aroma of Christ."