Holy Thursday, a day of remembering. A day of preparation. A day when the symbol broke, and reality flowed.
The week begins with the story of how Mary anoints Jesus with a liter of costly perfumed oil. Mark 14:3-5 gives us a graphic account: When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head.
Is not this a mirror of life? I have within myself the very goodness God planted there. But somehow, it stays hidden, even from me. And I live out my life as though I were an alabaster jar, trying not to get hurt, not to be chipped, not to be broken. I think it is good to be hard, to be able to carry life within, and do not realize, sometimes life needs to break out.
Even more, sometimes I cherish the alabaster jar more than the precious ointment within. I want to keep the jar intact, even if it means I lost the treasure. Through this gospel I am invited to break that concept, to reject what I cherish, and let what is truly precious flow out.
For when I do this, I am acting like Mary, I am being bold with my love, my devotion, and my faith. I am taking it out of the alabaster jar and pouring it out, not caring what others might say.
Holy Thursday is a good day to think on these things.
This is wisdom for the hardened heart.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think in some sense, we all have a part of our heart that tends to be hard...and we have to remind ourselves that it isn't worth it.
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